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As mindfuck master David Lynch brings his Festival of Disruption to Brooklyn, we break down all the dreaminess. Read on for the highlights of this year's event.
The talks and films
The big question when Lynch announced he was uprooting his festival, a mash-up of art, film, music and meditation previously held in L.A., to our fair city: Is the perfectly coiffed auteur going to be there? Lynch will indeed be in the house! Showcasing a program dubbed Rare Short Films, the helmer will present a screening of his early experimental works and lead a talk. For (slightly) more mainstream fare, check out a conversation with actor Isabella Rossellini about her out-there role in 1986’s Blue Velvet. And last but definitely not least, A-list Lynch vet Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire) sits down with transcendental-meditation maestro Bob Roth.
The tunes
Lynch handpicked this killer lineup, many of whom performed on Twin Peaks: The Return. There’s rip-your-heart-out songstress Angel Olsen, My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, electronic musician Jon Hopkins and crooner Rebekah Del Rio, as well as aughts heavyweight Animal Collective and pleasing indie-popsters Au Revoir Simone. DJ sets by Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, Dean Hurley and Nancy Whang keep the weird-party vibes going.
The meditation
The director swears by the clarifying powers of meditation, as evidenced by his autobiographical self-help guide Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity. So, it wouldn’t be a proper Lynch event without a little mind work. Roth and Billions creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien lead you in a meditative experience that’s accompanied by composer Brian Eno’s ambient record Reflection. Bonus: All the soul-searching is for a good cause. Proceeds benefit the David Lynch Foundation, which uses transcendental-meditation techniques to help at-risk populations, including victims of domestic violence, veterans suffering from PTSD and youths living in underserved communities.
Festival of Disruption takes place at Brooklyn Steel on May 19, 20 (festivalofdisruption.com). Various prices.