Renowned American movie director David Lynch has died at the age of 78, his family said in a Facebook post on Thursday. The filmmaker was known for his surreal narratives and haunting visuals. He produced TV shows and movies including Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, Dune, and The Elephant Man. The cause of his death was not made public.ย
โIt is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,โ his relatives posted on his Facebook page, adding that they would need โprivacy at this time.โย
โThereโs a big hole in the world now that heโs no longer with us,โ they added.
Born in Missoula, Montana, in 1946, Lynch started off as an art student making experimental short films. His debut feature, Eraserhead (1977), became a midnight movie cult classic and launched his career. He directed critically acclaimed films such as Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart (which won the Palme dโOr in 1990), and Mulholland Drive, earning three Oscar nominations for Best Director.
He directed the original Dune movie (1984), featuring long-time collaborator Kyle McLachlan and the musician Sting, among others, but later disowned the production, citing a lack of creative control.
His groundbreaking TV series Twin Peaks (1990) became a cultural phenomenon, with a third season airing in 2017. Its haunting theme, eerie small-town setting, and Lynchโs signature dreamlike style left an indelible mark on television, including in the early 90s in post-Soviet Russia.ย
Twin Peaksโ avant-garde blend of genres โ soap opera, noir, and surrealism โ resonated deeply in a country navigating its own complex transitions.
It first aired in 1993, becoming a cultural phenomenon and sparking philosophical and cinematic discussions in the media. Premiering shortly after the dramatic shelling of the Russian parliament during the constitutional crisis, the show captivated audiences. It aired again in 1995 and 2001, the latter airing with significant promotional fanfare.
The newspaper Segodnya famously published detailed analyses of each episode, exploring the seriesโ psychoanalytic and cultural layers. Critics compared Lynchโs work to a psychological session, describing how he โmakes the genre his patient, uncovering the unconscious absurdity within.โย Questions such as โWho killed Laura Palmer?โ became as ubiquitous as political discussions, Kommersant reported in 1994.
Beyond his filmmaking, Lynch was a painter, musician, and advocate for transcendental meditation, founding the David Lynch Foundation in 2005. His last feature film was Inland Empire (2006), though he continued to create short films, music videos, and even acted, most notably as director John Ford in Steven Spielbergโs The Fabelmans (2022).
A lifetime smoker, Lynch revealed in August 2024 that he had been diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic lung condition that causes shortness of breath. He called it a price for his smoking habit and stated that he would likely not be able to leave his house and direct films any longer.
He began smoking at the age of eight and only quit in 2022 after being told his life was at immediate risk. โI could hardly move without gasping for air,โ Lynch told People magazine. He required supplemental oxygen for most activities and was mostly homebound.
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