David Lynch, surrealist film icon, dies at 78

Acclaimed filmmaker David Lynch, known for his surrealist masterpieces and the creation of "Twin Peaks," passed away at 78, his family announced. The visionary director, who earned three Academy Award nominations for best director and received an honorary Oscar in 2019, left behind a legacy of groundbreaking cinema that spawned the term "Lynchian."
Born in Missoula, Montana, in 1946, Lynch transformed from an Eagle Scout into a counterculture icon. His journey into filmmaking began during his art studies in Philadelphia, where the city's gritty atmosphere inspired his cult debut "Eraserhead." This led to his breakthrough with "The Elephant Man," which garnered eight Oscar nominations.
Lynch's distinctive style, blending the macabre with the mundane, reached its commercial peak with "Blue Velvet" (1986) and the television series "Twin Peaks" (1990). His 2001 film "Mulholland Drive" was later named the best film of the 21st century in a 2016 BBC critics' poll.
The filmmaker was known for his reluctance to explain his complex works, stating that "each thing is its own sort of language." Beyond cinema, Lynch was a Renaissance man who explored painting, music, and digital media, publishing his memoir "Room to Dream" in 2018.
Married four times and father to four children, Lynch remained passionate about his creative pursuits throughout his life. His family's announcement included one of his characteristic philosophies: "Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole."
The New York Times once described him as "Hollywood's most revered eccentric, sort of a psychopathic Norman Rockwell," highlighting his unique ability to expose the dark underbelly of American life through his surrealist lens.