David Lynch, the visionary American director known for surreal masterpieces like Twin Peaks, Dune and Blue Velvet, has died aged 78.
His family announced his death in a Facebook post, writing: "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.'"
The acclaimed filmmaker had revealed in 2024 that he was suffering from emphysema after a lifetime of smoking, which had left him largely housebound and unable to direct.
Lynch's distinctive style melded elements of horror, film noir and classical European surrealism, creating a unique artistic vision that revolutionised both American cinema and television.
His groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks in 1990 transformed American TV, introducing surreal elements and taboo subjects into mainstream programming through the story of a murdered high school girl in a Washington lumber town.
Lynch's 1986 film Blue Velvet established his mature style, plunging viewers into the dark psychosexual underbelly of small-town America.
Mulholland Drive, released in 2001, became one of his most acclaimed works, earning him a best director award at Cannes. The noir-style mystery was later voted the best film of the 21st century.
His unique narrative approach influenced countless successors, from Wild Palms to True Detective, with his distinctive stylistic fingerprints visible across modern television.
The director remained consistently reticent about explaining his work's meaning, preferring to let audiences unravel his complex mysteries for themselves.
Lynch began his career as an art student making experimental films, with his breakthrough coming in 1977 with Eraserhead, a disturbing midnight movie circuit success.
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