Visionary director David Lynch has died. He was 78 years old.
The sad news was revealed by Lynch’s family on his official Facebook account. “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” the post reads. “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 revealed last year that he had been diagnosed with emphysema. “Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco – the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them – but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema,” he wrote on X. “I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.”
Where to even begin with David Lynch? His accomplishments as a filmmaker include cult favorite Eraserhead; surprise box office hit Blue Velvet; the Oscar nominated The Elephant Man and The Straight Story; and Mulholland Drive, one of only two films released since 2000 to appear in the top 10 of Sight and Sound‘s “Greatest Films of All Time” list. He also was an accomplished musician, advocate for transcendental meditation, and co-created Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: The Return, which turned out to be his final project. It was yet another creative triumph in career full of them.