‘Lost Highway’ Filmmaker David Lynch Shares Emphysema Diagnosis

David Lynch walks the red carpet during the 12th Rome Film Fest in Rome, Italy, on Nov. 4, 2017. (Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

Award-winning filmmaker David Lynch, renowned for his surrealist films, including “Eraserhead,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Mulholland Drive,” has revealed that he was diagnosed with a chronic lung disease.

In a post shared to his X account on Aug. 5, Lynch, 78, wrote that he suffers from emphysema due to “many years of smoking.”

“I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco—the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them—but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema,” he wrote.

Lynch noted that he stopped smoking more than two years ago. “Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema,” he added.

According to the Mayo Clinic, emphysema is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that causes damage to the tiny air sacs called alveoli in the lungs. This affects the amount of oxygen present in the bloodstream, making breathing difficult and resulting in shortness of breath.

In addition to smoking, prolonged exposure to other airborne irritants, such as marijuana smoke and air pollution, can also cause the disease.

‘I Will Never Retire’

Lynch initially discussed his health diagnosis in the magazine Sight and Sound’s forthcoming September issue, which features the “Twin Peaks” co-creator on the cover.

“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not. And now, because of COVID, it would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold,” he told the publication, adding that he “can only walk a short distance before [running] out of oxygen.”

As a result of his lung disease, Lynch said that he would consider making films remotely moving forward “if it comes to it,” adding that he “wouldn’t like that so much.”

Following his remarks, internet users began to speculate about Lynch’s ability to continue working, leading the esteemed filmmaker to clarify that he was not planning on leaving the entertainment industry.

“I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire,” he wrote in his recent X post. “I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern.”

Although Lynch published several short films on his YouTube account during the COVID-19 pandemic, including “Fire (Pozar)“ and ”The Adventures of Alan R.,“ he hasn’t released any major projects since the debut of his highly anticipated third season of ”Twin Peaks,“ dubbed ”Twin Peaks: The Return,” in 2017. The series is a continuation of his original show of the same name, which aired on ABC in the early ‘90s.

According to Lynch’s IMDb webpage, the filmmaker was also working on a project titled “Unrecorded Night,” which is currently listed as in production. However, Lynch’s producing partner, Sabrina Sutherland, revealed earlier this year that Netflix had canceled the series due to the pandemic.

“They were/possibly are still interested in our show. COVID and the pandemic shutdown is what stalled our show—nothing else,” she wrote in a Q&A thread on the Tulpa forum in May.

“There’s always a chance we can pick it up again, but David has been enjoying his artwork and music endeavors, so we haven’t gone back to it yet,” Sutherland shared.

Mirroring his filmmaking work, Lynch’s music career has also spanned over 40 years. He helped compose the soundtracks for many of his films, including his first feature-length film, “Eraserhead,” released in 1982, and has released several albums, including “BlueBOB” (2001), “The Air Is on Fire” (2007), “Crazy Clown Time” (2011), and “The Big Dream” (2013).

Lynch has also collaborated with singer Chrystabell, who starred in “Twin Peaks: The Return,” releasing their first album, “This Train,” in 2011, followed by their sophomore album, “Somewhere in the Nowhere,” in 2016.

The duo’s most recent album, “Cellophane Memories,” debuted on Aug. 2 via Sacred Bones Records. According to the record label’s website, Lynch found his inspiration for the album in nature.

“Cellophane Memories comes from a vision that David experienced during a nighttime walk through a forest of tall trees, over the tops of which he saw a bright light. As he recalls it, the light became the lilt of Chrystabell’s voice and revealed a secret to him,” the website reads.

“It is from these mysterious convergences of light and sound, day and night, starry sky and black forest that Chrystabell and David’s collaboration has continued to blossom.”