Watch David Lynch’s road-tripping Interview Project, 15 years on

Back in 2009, David Lynch directed a series of 121 short documentaries, which saw the Twin Peaks filmmaker embark on a 20,000 mile road trip across America, interviewing people he found along the way. Now, the aptly-titled Interview Project has resurfaced to celebrate its 15-year anniversary.

Shot by Lynch’s son, Austin Lynch, and Mulholland Drive assistant Jason S, the re-released documentary series is housed on a dedicated YouTube channel, seemingly run by the team behind the original project. “For those of you familiar with the series, we hope you enjoy revisiting them,” they say. “For those new to the series, we hope you enjoy discovering them.”

If you didn’t catch the films the first time around, each shines a spotlight on an individual with a short introduction from Lynch. Kee, a young man from the Navajo Nation’s Tuba City, talks about struggling with his sexuality growing up. Barry, or ‘Beartrap McGee’, talks about running his Fort Davis snake museum. North Carolina’s Brenda Wray expresses her disappointment in the government, in a year typically defined by the optimism of Barack Obama’s first term.

Elsewhere, interview subjects talk about their childhoods and regrets, addiction struggles, and near-death experiences. “There was no plan really,” says Lynch in a filmed introduction. “The people who were interviewed, each was different… It’s something that’s human, and you can’t stay away from it.”

Presented in five minutes or less, the films don’t bear the dreamlike style of many David Lynch productions, and are illustrated by rural landscapes and snippets of country music. That said, there are some very Lynchian themes at play in Interview Project, from the off-beat characters encountered at the side of the road, to the sense that their reflections on life, spirituality, and politics often point to a dark underbelly of the American Dream.

You can find all of the re-released interviews here, and watch Lynch’s introduction below.