David Lynch has revealed in an interview with Sight & Sound magazine that he suffers from emphysema, and is now only able to direct future projects remotely. Lynch actually hasn’t directed a feature film since Inland Empire in 2006, which is considered one of his most experimental films to date (quite a big statement knowing his directing style). Since then, however, he has had his directed many short films in addition to 18 episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return.
In the interview, he revealed that the condition came from ‘smoking for so long,’ and can no longer even go outside without feeling exhausted quickly. He said in the interview with Sam Wigley: “I’ll tell you, I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long, and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not. I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.”
“Smoking was something that I absolutely loved but, in the end, it bit me. It was part of the art life for me: the tobacco and the smell of it and lighting things and smoking and going back and sitting back and having a smoke and looking at your work, or thinking about things; nothing like it in this world is so beautiful. Meanwhile, it’s killing me. So I had to quit it.”
“And now, because of Covid, it would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold. So I probably would be directing from my house. And because of Covid, they’ve now invented ways where you can direct from home. I wouldn’t like that so much. I like to be there amongst the thing and get ideas there. But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it.“
However, this won’t detract Lynch from working on future projects. When asked if this will make him give up on directing, he replied “Well, we don’t know what the future will bring, but we remain hopeful.”
David Lynch is known as one of the most iconic film directors of all time and utilizes a unique “dream-like”, avant-garde directing style. One of his most famous works was the series Twin Peaks, where he was the co-creator and executive producer alongside Mark Frost. He directed the pilot episode and many major episodes throughout the series. He was also known for directing Mulholland Drive, which is considered to be his masterpiece.
