David Lynch's short films represent the primordial core of his imagination: works born between painting, animation and sound experimentation, in which the tensions, visions and surreal humour that run through his entire filmography already emerge. From his first disturbing animations to hybrids between live action and dreams, to forays into the most grotesque comedy, these films show a free, artisanal and radical Lynch. A retrospective that allows us to observe closely the birth of a unique language, in which cinema becomes a sensory, unsettling and deeply personal experience.

DAVID LYNCH'S SHORT FILMS:

SIX MEN GETTING SICK – 4'

A repetitive and disturbing visual vortex in which six stylised figures seem to reject not only matter but also inner tension. In this hypnotic cycle, Lynch explores the body as a place of fear and obsession, anticipating themes that will run through his entire oeuvre.

THE ALPHABET – 4'

A childhood nightmare about the birth of language. Letters become animated, threatening entities, manifestations of compulsory learning and a terror that emerges from the depths. Lynch blends animation, sound and real images in a disturbing and symbolic flow.

THE GRANDMOTHER – 34'

The loneliness of a child oppressed by his family finds refuge in a creature evoked by his own need for affection. The short film alternates live action and animation in a dense, unsettling tale about the desire for protection and the shadows of childhood.

THE AMPUTEE 1 & 2 – 5' and 4'

A woman recounts a personal story while a nurse attempts to treat a wound. The immobility of the protagonist and the detached tone of the story create a contrast that amplifies the discomfort. Two variations of the same experiment, dry and crudely ironic.

LUMIÈRE – 1'

A minute of spectral atmospheres and luminous vibrations: Lynch pays homage to the origins of cinema by interpreting its mystery rather than its form, as if the film itself were breathing.

THE COWBOY AND THE FRENCHMAN – 26'

A surreal comedy that brings together stereotypes of the American West and grotesque European characters. Through misunderstandings, cultural rituals and unexpected humour, Lynch enjoys disrupting the collective imagination with lightness and imagination.

DUMBLAND – 33’

A deliberately brutal exploration of everyday absurdity. Rough drawings, exaggerated humour, extreme situations: Lynch observes stupidity as a form of primordial chaos, transforming it into a comic and disturbing universe.