Francis Ford Coppola is best known as a five-time Oscar-winning director, writer and producer. He won his first Oscar at age 31 for the screenplay Patton, which he co-wrote with Edmund H. North. His impressive body of work includes directorial credits for 19 films; epics such as the Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now, and most recently Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1992, and Jack, starring Robin Williams and Bill Cosby, due for release in August 1996. Coppola, who won the Palm d'Or at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for The Conversation and Apocalypse Now, presided as president of the jury for the 1996 festival this May. His San Francisco-based film company, American Zoetrop, develops and produces television projects and films such as 1995's Don Juan DeMarco and My Family.

In the early 80's, Coppola visited this fledging democracy (formerly British Honduras) to try and convince them to establish a satellite address and become a hub of telecommunications. The government demurred, but Coppola fell in love with Belize, whose verdant jungle reminded him of the Phillippines where he'd filmed Apocalypse Now. Coppola visited an abandoned lodge, called Blancaneaux, and bought it. For more than a decade, his family and friends used it as a retreat.

Then, in 1993, he opened his jungle paradise to the public. Coppola explains that having a resort in the remote reaches of the jungle didn't intimidate him at all. "It's like being a movie on location--you just bring everything with you or build it yourself.

Coppola's done just that--he is delighted that his laptop computer is run by the clean, free energy that his river-powered hydro-electric plant provides. The ever-expanding vegetable garden provides a myriad of fruits and vegetables, including Italian favorites like eggplant and arugla, plus multiple varieties of tomatoes.

Coppola sees his role as that of conservator, preserving the pristine environment--he loves the fact that the river water is pure enough to drink, and strongly supports Belize's commitment to eco-tourism.

In addition to his film company, American Zoetrope, and Blancaneaux Lodge, Coppola also owns the Niebaum Coppola Estate Winery in Napa Valley. Together with Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams, he is a partner in the acclaimed San Francisco restaurant, RUBICON. When questioned about his diverse interests, he replies simply, "It's all entertainment."