As we get ready to fall in love with David Lynch all over again when he returns with a new season of “Twin Peaks” next year, the filmmaker is also opening up about his life. In a way, 2017 could be Peak Lynch (pun intended), with the director not only showing us that he hasn’t lost the passion for his craft, but helping us understand the man behind some of the most twisted visions to ever hit the big screen (not including “The Straight Story“).
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Directed by Jon Nguyen, “David Lynch: The Art Life” isn’t a run through the films and work we already know so well from the director, but instead an exploration of the events in David Lynch’s early life that made him, well, David Lynch.
“From the very beginning, we wanted to make a film that focused on his early years, the period before Lynch discovered fame. We felt this period would be rich with clues to understanding such an enigmatic artist. Our intention wasn’t to pull back the curtain on the wizard, but to reveal the individual,” Nguyen told Empire. Here’s the official synopsis:
David Lynch takes us on an intimate journey through the formative years of his life. From his idyllic upbringing in small town America to the dark streets of Philadelphia, we follow Lynch as he traces the events that have helped to shape one of cinema’s most enigmatic directors. David Lynch: The Art Life infuses Lynch’s own art, music and early films, shining a light into the dark corners of his unique world, giving audiences a better understanding of the man and the artist.
As Lynch states “I think every time you do something, like a painting or whatever, you go with ideas and sometimes the past can conjure those ideas and color them, even if they’re new ideas, the past colors them.” We’re invited in and given a private view from Lynch’s compound and painting studio in the hills high above Hollywood, as Lynch retells personal stories from his past that unfold like scenes from his films. Strange characters come into focus, only to fade again into the past, leaving an indelible mark on Lynch, the artist.
We become witnesses to the fears, misunderstandings and struggles that Lynch overcomes and, along the way, meet the various people that have helped to mold him. It becomes evident early on in Lynch’s life that he views the world differently, absorbing its shadows and weaving a dream like tapestry for audiences worldwide to become tangled in. By pulling back the curtains on the icon we hope to uncover the individual, David Lynch.
“David Lynch: The Art Life” will have its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Check out the first trailer and clip to get a taste of what looks to be a captivating portrait of a fascinating man.
