KAYAK
Short Film
Director: Shel Yan
Cinematography: David Campesino
Story: Lea Ye
Producer: Eric Vogel
Assistant Camera & Lighting: Maks Pallas
Costume & Puppet Design: Hannah Enste
Set Design: Sebastian Schrader
Music: Vive
Animation: Shel Yan
Production Sound Mixer: André Goeters
The short film KAYAK explores the theme of obsessive introspection and the gradual alienation from one’s own body. In a surreal setting, the protagonist confronts existential questions and inner conflicts. Fragmented, dreamlike imagery reflects her distorted perception, as pathological self-reflection begins to dissolve the connection to physical reality. The sound design is marked by the persistent presence of water—never seen, but heard—serving as a symbolic backdrop for transition, isolation, and transformation. Kayak is a sensuous and poetic meditation on the fragile interplay between thought, emotion, and embodiment.