David Lynch is easily one of the most authentic and idiosyncratic film authors of this era. And he is one who does not shy from walking the tightrope at his advanced age, as can be seen from his latest feature Inland Empire (2006), that left audiences at the Venice Festival fascinated and amazed. This ‘documentary’ seems to be the result of a kind of ‘second-unit’ camera crew on Inland Empire, but was shot over a period of no less than two years. The pseudonym of the director, blackANDwhite, made many people speculate about the true identity of the maker. Could it possibly be Lynch himself? But this is basically irrelevant when enjoying the film. We see Lynch philosophise about his art and his film work, busy making his strange, hybrid paintings and all kinds of prop-like objects that may or may not end up in his film. He addresses davidlynch.com members on his webcam and expresses his admiration for the effect of transcendental meditation on his energy and creativity. Of course we also see him on the set of Inland Empire, a film that Lynch made according to the following‘method’: ‘scene by scene not knowing but shooting’. In other words, LYNCH is an indirect yet powerful witness to the nervous and unpredictable genius of a master cinematographer. (EH)
