David Lynch

at BFI Southbank

David Lynch has been responsible for some of the most innovative, daring and talked-about
films in the last 40 years of American cinema. Throughout February, BFI Southbank will
present all of his films in a complete retrospective that will include his early shorts and
substantiate Lynch’s reputation as a pioneer among contemporary American filmmakers.
Renowned Tweeter and latterly musician, David Lynch’s career trajectory has taken him
from an often challenging avant-garde director, with his surreal first shorts The Alphabet
(1968) and  The Grandmother  (1970), to a thought-provoking auteur with films such as
Mullholland Drive (2001) and  Inland Empire (2006) – incorporating the seminal television
series  Twin Peaks  along the way. Lynch began his creative career studying painting, but
made the transition to filmmaking which took him to LA where he began the five-year
process of making his first feature Eraserhead (1976). Starring Jack Nance, this disturbing
debut became a cult classic and led way for a dip into the mainstream with his portrayal of
The Elephant Man  (1980), which also earned Lynch his first  Oscar  nomination for Best
Director.

The sci-fi epic Dune (1984) was followed by Lynch’s landmark film Blue Velvet (1986). This
won him another nomination from the Academy and received critical acclaim for its tale of
murder and sadomasochism behind the white picket fences of suburbia. With outstanding
performances from Dennis Hopper and Isabella Rossellini, Lynch established himself as a
leader in US independent filmmaking, appealing to both audiences and academia alike –
the latter who would go on to coin the term ‘Lynchian’ to describe a surreal and uncanny
tone that rippled through Hollywood titles.

His star was on the ascent: his road movie Wild
at Heart (1990) won the Palme D’Or at Cannes while from the cover of Time magazine he
was dubbed a genius. Though press vilified  Twin  Peaks:  Fire  Walk with Me (1992), Lynch
remained faithful to his vision and spirit of rebellion, presenting first the LA noir mystery
Lost Highway  (1996) and then, from the leftfield, the life-affirming story of a 73-year old
man who travelled cross-country on a lawnmower to visit his brother in The Straight Story
(1999). Each film restored his status as a truly remarkable director. The last decade has seen Lynch make only two films, including  Mulholland Dr. (2001) -
widely regarded as a modern masterpiece. But he has also created a foundation of
Transcendental Meditation for deprived children and collaborate with musicians such as
Danger Mouse and Angel Badalamenti, and recently release a solo album. This season will
provide a rare reminder of the creative genius of Lynch, on screen, and why he remains one
of the most ground-breaking artists of his generation.


The BFI Southbank is open to all. BFI members are entitled to a discount on all tickets.  BFI Southbank
Box Office tel: 020 7928 3232. Unless otherwise stated tickets are £9.00, concs £6.65 Members pay £1.40
less on any ticket. Website www.bfi.org.uk/southbank