David Lynch Dies Aged 78

Legendary American filmmaker David Lynch has died at the age of 78, it has been confirmed. The beloved director behind some of the most boundary-breaking works of cinema – from Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive to Inland Empire – had previously announced a diagnosis of emphysema that left him unable to leave the house.

The news was confirmed in a Facebook post from Lynch’s family that reads as follows: “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”

Lynch’s singular style earned him a reputation as a cinematic one-off – his films concerned with dreamlike imagery, surrealist flair, and a propensity for peeking behind the pristine surface of American life to expose the darkness beneath. His feature debut was 1977’s Eraserhead, shot over the course of several years, which became a cult classic in the years following its release. From there, Lynch directed The Elephant Man, starring John Hurt as John Merrick, with the film earning eight Oscar nominations; he made a flawed but beloved 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, led by regular collaborator Kyle MacLachlan; and followed it up with the controversial Blue Velvet, which earned Lynch a Best Director Oscar nomination, and in time became hailed as an all-time classic.

In the early 1990s, Lynch not only continued working in cinema with Wild At Heart, but co-created Twin Peaks – the legendary TV mystery drama, blending American soap-operatics with surreal fantastical elements, all hinged on the mystery of who killed youngster Laura Palmer. The series was a major hit, though ended following its second season, continued by Lynch in its 1992 cinematic spin-off prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. In 2017, Lynch would go back to Twin Peaks in Showtime series Twin Peaks: The Return, directing all 18 instalments.

Lynch followed up his early ‘90s films with 1997’s Lost Highway and 1999’s The Straight Story. In 2001, he released one of his most renowned works, the dreamlike Hollywood noir-inflected mystery Mulholland Drive, often hailed as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. It earned Lynch another Best Director nomination at the Oscars, as well as winning Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival (alongside Joel Coen). Lynch’s final film was 2006’s Inland Empire, a three-hour work considered as one of his most challenging features. Beyond his film and TV work, Lynch created original music, paintings, and wrote book Catching The Big Fish. Twin Peaks: The Return would become his final major project.

Lynch’s impact on cinema cannot be understated. His legacy will long continue in the medium, and in a generation of filmmakers touched by his uncompromising, unpredictable, transcendent visions. Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and all those inspired by his work.