The Producers

Nikolay Nikolov

Nikolay Nikolov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. With interests in politics, philosophy, and art, he moved to the UK to study political science and international relations, earning his PhD with a dissertation on post-Soviet architecture. His career in video production began at AJ+ and later Mashable, where he produced several video pieces about large public art installations and kinetic sculptures. In 2022, he joined The New York Times as a senior video journalist. He lives in London.

Zachary Alfred

Zachary Alfred was born and raised in Montana. In 2012, he joined Al Jazeera English as an interview producer and two years later helped launch global social media publisher AJ+. After earning a master’s degree in Digital Media and Society in Sweden, his career focus shifted to content production and social media strategy at Swedish truck manufacturer Scania, where he produced award-winning editorial content. Since 2022, Zachary has dedicated his career to communications for climate and sustainable industrial transformation. He lives in Stockholm.

Making The Film

Director's Statement

Nikolay's life was at a crossroads when he discovered Theo Jansen's Strandbeests on YouTube. Seeking a creative outlet, he reached out to Jansen for years requesting to make a documentary about him. When Theo finally accepted, Nikolay and the world had changed, and the project became an escape for Nikolay while working as a journalist covering global conflicts such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war in Gaza.

'Pipe Dream' is a meditation on the nature of existence, and art's role as a means of escape in a harsh world. It captures Jansen’s Sisyphean approach to life and creation, embracing the absurdity of it. We hope Theo’s unique perspectives inspire others to reflect on their place in this world.