The title is derived from the Joseph Conrad novella '' Heart of Darkness '' , the source material for '' Apocalypse Now '' . Using behind-the-scenes footage , and narrated by Eleanor Coppola , the documentary chronicles how production problems — among them bad weather , actors ' poor health , and other issues — delayed the film , increasing costs and nearly destroying the life and career of its director , her husband , Francis Ford Coppola . In 1990 , Coppola turned her material over to two young filmmakers , George Hickenlooper and Fax Bahr ( co-creator of '' MADtv '' ) , who subsequently shot new interviews with the original cast and crew , and intercut them with her existing material . After a year of editing , Hickenlooper , Bahr , and Coppola debuted their film at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival to universal critical acclaim
1991 Cannes Film Festival
1991 Cannes Film Festival
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse