David Lynch

We might call him an angel of the bizarre. A fitting moniker, when we contemplate the weird and wonderful dreamscapes that permeate works such as Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire. Turning his back on narrative continuity, Lynch invites us to take a winding path through a troubled world of the imagination, where tension and suspense are always lurking just round the corner. But there is more to him than that: The Straight Story, for example, is a sure-handed departure into simple, clear narrative, underscored with emotion and empathy. He treats the image with almost obsessive care, reminding us constantly of his early training as a painter, and pays equally keen attention to the score. A mythical auteur, recipient of multiple accolades, whose influence is universal.