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How did Francis Ford Coppola’s childhood illness influence his early interest in filmmaking?

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Francis Ford Coppola, with a beard, sits on a camera dolly surrounded by crew and actors on the set of The Godfather: Part II, with storefronts in the background. — Francis Ford Coppola American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola won the Oscar for best director for *The Godfather: Part II* (1974).

At age nine, Francis Ford Coppola was confined to bed due to a bout of polio. During this period of isolation, he began devising puppet shows to entertain himself. This creative outlet soon evolved into an interest in filmmaking, leading him to start making 8-mm films.1