CAR

Film and Live Performance / 25 min / 4:3 / 2025

In the experimental short film - performance CAR, three drummers create a soundtrack for a car. In a live performance, accompanying the screen, an unusual soundscape emerges from engines, construction sites, and the fluttering of the wind, inviting us to experience the sound world of our everyday life in an unexpected manner.

In collaboration with Yuling Chiu, who is a trained classical Percussionist and Max Mahlert, who’s musical roots lie in Jazz and experimental music, we investigated the sound world of this Car ride scenario from an auditive perspective. How is the sound world of our every day life affecting our emotional world? How do they interact?

CAR - Synopsis

Performers: Yuling Chiu, Max Mahlert, Tim Seger

Funded by Hessen Film und Medien / Sonderförderung Kultur Stadt Offenbach

A junkyard was the starting point for our journey. It’s owner allowed us to choose freely from all sorts of Car leftovers, which offered a variety of sounds and textures. In my first sketches of CAR, I had originally thought of three drumsets accompanying the screen. But once we had stepped a foot on the junkyard and got to know all its layers, facets, tonalities, shapes and sizes, it became clear pretty quickly that there is no way around using this objects on stage.

hile developing the Sound world of Car, we were looking for the emotional quality of car parts and instruments. What does a stressed out engine sound like? How can windshield wipers sound nervous, or sad? Does the environment change when we leave town, how does a car sound on a highway, in a tunnel or surrounded by a forest?

After collecting sketches and ideas I started putting together the visuals into a 25 minute film. John Londono joined the project as director of photography, while Bill Raab built the edit of the film. As we were looking for a narrative that guides us through this emotional journey, I was thinking of a childhood memory: The weekly car ride, my mum and me undertook to drum lesson every Monday afternoon. The memory became something like a roadmap we layed out for the films narrative. We reenacted this weekly car ride with the actors Benni Rümmler and Anja Schiffel as mother and son, who brought their own family - car ride experiences into the film.

CAR - live @ Produktionshaus Naxos, Frankfurt 2025