Legendary director David Lynch dies aged 78 after long-term lung condition

American filmmaker David Lynch has died aged 78 after a suffering with a long-term lung condition. The director of critically acclaimed films such as Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive and Elephant Man and TV show Twin Peaks, was diagnosed with Emphysema after many years of smoking.

In August, he revealed that he couldn't leave home for fear that he would get Covid-19. On Thursday (January 16), his family announced his death in a Facebook post which read: "It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch.

"We would appreciate some privacy at this time. 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.” It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way."

David has received critical acclaim for his films, which are often distinguished by their surrealist, dreamlike qualities. He has received numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2006 and an Honorary Academy Award in 2019.

In 2007, a panel of critics convened by The Guardian announced that "after all the discussion, no one could fault the conclusion that David Lynch is the most important film-maker of the current era."

He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for the biographical drama The Elephant Man (1980) and the mystery films Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive/ His romantic crime drama Wild at Heart also won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

David and Mark Frost created the ABC series Twin Peaks, of which Lynch was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Lynch co-wrote