The Oscar-winning filmmaker spoke to Variety at “No Matter What,” a Planned Parenthood pop-up in Greenwich Village.
“It’s just so outrageous,” offers Sofia Coppola.
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker is seated across from me inside No Matter What, an immersive art installation from Planned Parenthood in Greenwich Village. The pop-up, running Friday and Saturday, is a walk-through multimedia exhibition that provides visitors with the stories of those impacted by the Trump administration’s defunding of Planned Parenthood, since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“No Matter What is a space to bear witness to the real harm being done to real people, and to remember that we are not powerless,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Planned Parenthood has been fighting for over 100 years, and we are not stopping now. We invite everyone to come, to see, to feel the stakes of this moment, and to join us in this fight.”
Coppola is “a longtime supporter of Planned Parenthood” who’s “going to continue to support it.” Her late mother Eleanor, the documentary filmmaker and artist, was a lifelong advocate for the health organization and always touted its importance to her. So, the actions by the Trump administration and the Supreme Court have been a resounding blow to Coppola.
“It’s such a blow because my mom was a supporter of Planned Parenthood and her generation fought for all these rights that we took for granted,” Coppola tells Variety. “It’s hard to believe that my daughter’s generation won’t have these basic rights that are so fundamental. It’s important that we all do what we can to support health care for everyone.”
I also bumped into the young Scottish actress Lucy Halliday roaming the exhibition. Halliday is one of the stars of “The Testaments,” a sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale” airing on Hulu set in a dystopian world where women have been completely stripped of their rights and forced to enter into arranged marriages or even serve as natal slaves.
“‘The Testaments’ is emulating all the things that we see on the news,” says Halliday. “The second I saw this was on I knew I couldn’t miss it because the fact that we are, in 2026, regurgitating the same issues and the same lack of rights individuals have for their bodies and for their health care is astounding and appalling.”
Through her acclaimed oeuvre, from “The Virgin Suicides” and “Lost in Translation” to “Priscilla,” Coppola has granted interiority and personhood to women. She believes it’s important to support organizations like Planned Parenthood so women artists like her can continue to enrich the world with their work.
“I’m always interested and focused on stories about women and their point of view,” explains Coppola. “We need the basic support so women can go to work, have careers and have our voices be heard.”
Coppola lives in the Greenwich Village area, not far from No Matter What, and has made New York City her home since 2010. When she tells me she was also born here, I inform her that according to Jennifer Lopez, that makes her a New Yorker.
“OK yes!” she exclaims. “I’m a New Yorker!”
She also says she’s a Knicks fan, and has been reveling in their recent NBA Finals run.
“You really feel the energy,” she says. “Anything that brings us all together and seeing everyone bonding on the streets in their colors is exciting. It’s uplifting. Everyone is united. There’s nowhere like New York.”
She says that the “movies, art and culture” of New York City help her drown out the political noise, as well as “sharing poems and art that you love and having community.” A recent film she really admired is “Sorry, Baby,” Eva Victor’s stellar directorial debut about a woman rebuilding her life in the aftermath of a sexual assault.
As for her own projects, Coppola told Elle that a biopic she was planning to shoot later this year with Kirsten Dunst in the starring role is not moving forward.
“I always love working with her,” she tells me. “I have some stuff coming out and I’m writing right now.”
As for No Matter What, Planned Parenthood and women’s rights being stripped away, the filmmaker urges people to keep up the fight.
“Everyone needs to focus on being vocal,” she maintains. “This whole evening is about people sharing their stories and continuing to get the word out.”