Master Class with David Lynch

I was 19, fresh out of Liceo Pio IX. One day, while heading to the Academy of Fine Arts where I was happily immersed in set design, the legendary bus 62 rolled up an absurd 45 minutes late. It finally collected me, but then, inexplicably, decided to bypass Corso Vittorio Emanuele and cut through Lungotevere. I'm still baffled why I tolerated such a delay, especially since I was notoriously impatient with even the slightest tardiness. But that day, destiny intervened.Near Piazza Navona, a giant reflector caught my eye. It was positioned near Bar Navona, beckoning me with its cinematic allure. Curiosity compelled me to hop off at the next stop. There, amidst the organized chaos, was Tonino Delli Colli, the renowned Italian cinematographer, orchestrating his lighting magic. He informed me that David Lynch was shooting a Barilla commercial the following day, starring Gerard Depardieu and Alessia Merz. Needless to say, I was there at the crack of dawn the next morning, eager to ask Lynch if I could observe the shoot. With the effortless grace of a true master, the director of Twin Peaks granted my request with a smile and an enthusiastic yes, seemingly amused by my audacity.We spent two fascinating days on set. Depardieu, with his characteristic exuberance, would periodically rise from the bar to help an actress who had taken a tumble from her bike nearby, then cook her a plate of spaghetti as a consolation. It happened to be almost the exact spot where I had wiped out on my bike as a kid – what were the odds?Being in Lynch's orbit, I was struck by the stark contrast between him and the Italian directors I'd encountered. David, for all his visionary eccentricity, was incredibly kind and approachable. Our Roman showmen, on the other hand, seemed intoxicated by a petty sense of power, a need to control those around them.Thank you, David, for that inherent freedom you embodied, for making everything feel lighter. 

Manuel de Teffé