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
Cast:
Tabitha Maria Hafiz, Vive, Isabella Pohle,
Robert C. Schuppe, Niclas Lottermoser,
Eric Vogel, Lea Ye, Sebastian Schrader
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.