Experiencing Interruptions?

THE WAY THINGS SEEM TO BE

THE WAY THINGS SEEM TO BE dives into Rob’s life and work. He is the first American to win both the Camera d’Or at Cannes (Northern Lights, 1979) and the Grand Prize at Sundance (Heat and Sunlight, 1988). Over 45 feature films, countless awards, and using his Direct Action Cinema style — he has made work which is raw, improvisational and fearless. If life is unpredictable and unpolished — that's the way things seem to be to him.

*NOTE FOR FESTIVALS:
This is a four-hour film because the subject demands it — a big theme which needs room to breathe. It can also be viewed as two separate films, each with its own credit sequences.

  • Zhan Petrov
    Director
  • Rob Nilsson
    Producer
  • Rob Nilsson
    Key Cast
  • Bobby Roth
    Key Cast
  • Al Nelson
    Key Cast
  • Mark Fishkin
    Key Cast
  • Pam Grier
    Key Cast
  • Bruce Dern
    Key Cast
  • John Cale
    Key Cast
  • Josh Peterson
    Key Cast
  • Steve Burns
    Key Cast
  • Consuelo Faust
    Key Cast
  • Sandra Schulberg
    Key Cast
  • Stacy Keach
    Key Cast
  • Nancy Hayes
    Key Cast
  • Tom Bower
    Key Cast
  • John Hanson
    Key Cast
  • Robert Viharo
    Key Cast
  • Scot Cooper
    Key Cast
  • Jacques Thelemaque
    Key Cast
  • Marianne Heath
    Key Cast
  • Michelle Anton Allen
    Key Cast
  • Gail Schickele
    Key Cast
  • Train Schickele
    Key Cast
  • John Marley
    Key Cast
  • Rosemary Nelson
    Key Cast
  • Don Bajema
    Key Cast
  • Daniel Da Silva
    Key Cast
  • Russel Murphy
    Key Cast
  • Tony Milliner
    Key Cast
  • Billy Aguero
    Key Cast
  • Rand Crook
    Key Cast
  • Ethan Sing
    Key Cast
  • Celik Kayalar
    Key Cast
  • Penny Werner
    Key Cast
  • Lydia Becker
    Key Cast
  • Bruce Johnson
    Key Cast
  • Jean Johnson
    Key Cast
  • Suraj Gurung
    Key Cast
  • Rick Brown
    Key Cast
  • Daniel Kremer
    Key Cast
  • Zhan Petrov
    Key Cast
  • Chikara Motomura
    Key Cast
  • Drow Millar
    Key Cast
  • Deniz Demirer
    Key Cast
  • Carol Richards
    Key Cast
  • Clayton Allen
    Key Cast
  • Mystyslav Chernov
    Key Cast
  • Arthur Vibert
    Key Cast
  • Mickey Freeman
    Key Cast
  • David Fox
    Key Cast
  • Annette Fox
    Key Cast
  • Paige Olson
    Key Cast
  • Marshall Spight
    Key Cast
  • Mike Russel
    Key Cast
  • Robert Unsworth
    Key Cast
  • Robindira Unsworth
    Key Cast
  • India Unsworth
    Key Cast
  • Rob Nilsson
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    3 hours 44 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 15, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 35mm, Red, Iphone
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Zhan Petrov

Zhan Petrov – Director

My name is Zhan, pronounced like the French "Jean." My father named me after Jean-Luc Godard, inspired by his love of French cinema and Godard’s revolutionary Breathless, which starred Jean-Paul Belmondo.

I’m an immigrant from Ukraine, having come to America to escape the warfare in my homeland. I graduated from the Ukrainian National Marine Academy and worked my way up on ships to become a second officer, navigating global waters. This disciplined background shaped the way I approach filmmaking—dedicated, rigorous, and attentive to detail.

My journey as a filmmaker began during these voyages, where I encountered people from all walks of life, each with stories that left a mark on me. Over time, storytelling became my passion, leading me to embrace filmmaking as a way to capture and share authentic human experiences. Under the mentorship of Rob Nilsson, my teacher, and artistic inspiration, I’ve embraced his Direct Action style—a form of filmmaking that breaks boundaries, thrives on spontaneity, and seeks raw, unfiltered truth.

My collaborations with Rob have been the most transformative experiences of my career. As cinematographer, co-producer, and editor on his feature films Center Divide and Faultline, and as director of The Way Things Seem to Be, the documentary I've submitted to the festival. Working with Rob I’ve immersed myself in every aspect of production. This documentary has been a labor of love, spanning two years, hundreds of interviews, and over 200 terabytes of footage. Through this work, I’ve captured Rob’s journey—his 45 feature films, numerous retrospectives, and his unique, unyielding vision as a filmmaker, poet, painter, essayist, and actor.

The Way Things Seem to Be is more than a documentary; it’s my tribute to Rob Nilsson’s profound impact on my life and the world of independent cinema. With every frame, I strive to honor his relentless pursuit of truth, capturing a legacy that challenges and reshapes the way we see life through the camera’s lens. As Rob once said, his work is for “people who suffer but persevere, who question rather than complain.”

My dedication extends beyond this film—I’m committed to ensuring that all of Nilsson’s work becomes universally accessible and meaningful for future audiences. Through the Rob Nilsson Art Forms platform, I aim to bring his philosophy of “grow your own, roll your own, and sell your own” to life, creating a space where his art, poetry, films, and teachings can inspire and empower others to chart their own creative paths.

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Director Statement

I made this film to show how Rob keeps creating with zero excuses, living what he believes, so we see what it really looks like when you give your life to art