Pipe Dream (2024)

For decades, Theo Jansen has toiled on the beaches of the Netherlands in his quest to make his beloved Strandbeests self-sufficient. But what happens when, as the artist pursues his dream to create new life, he starts to feel his own slipping away? We follow Theo's life through the seasons, from the stormy, rainy winter to an idyllic summer on Scheveningen beach. We visit Theo in his sparsely furnished apartment with panoramic views of the Dutch coast and the North Sea. On the beach and in his workshops, he nurtures his animal-like Strandbeests, repairing, fixing, tinkering, and ultimately creating new generations. Featuring several interviews with Theo that are used to narrate the film, we develop an understanding of Theo's drive to create, as well as his fear of death. As he contemplates whether he is the Strandbeests' master or slave, Theo races against the inevitable passing of time and his eventual death. While he may be the Strandbeests' creator, he is not immortal. A journey into Theo's life and philosophy, 'Pipe Dream' explores the relationship between art and artist, creator and animal, master and slave.