Private Project

The Surprised Watchman

At the border between two worlds — the earthly and the otherworldly — sits an old watchman, thoughtfully observing a fly. His philosophical musings are interrupted by a strange young man who suddenly approaches him with an unexpected question: “How do I get to heaven?” What follows is an absurd, at times comical, at times unsettling dialogue, full of mistrust, misunderstanding, and subtle irony.

The watchman, accustomed to dull routines and simple rules, finds himself confronted with something that defies his world and logic. The young man, without a ticket but with unwavering conviction, tries to reach the place where “everything has already been prepared for him.”

The ending is quiet and mysterious: the young man suddenly vanishes, leaving the watchman alone with a white feather — and an eternal question: what was that?

This is a short animated parable about boundaries, misunderstanding, faith, and the mystery of passing from one world to another, with elements of absurdity and humor in the spirit of Daniil Kharms or Kafka.

  • Michael Reichel
    Director
  • Daniil Kharms
    Writer
    (original story)
  • Michael Reichel
    Writer
  • Anna Gomon
    Writer
  • Michael Reichel
    Producer
  • Maxim Avdeev
    Key Cast
  • Anna Gomon
    Production Designer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Удивлённый сторож / השומר המופתע
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 13 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 8, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Cyprus
  • Country of Filming:
    Cyprus
  • Language:
    Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Havat HaNoar / Bezalel
  • Jerusalem Film Festival
    Jerusalem
    Israel
    July 17, 2025
    Official Selection
  • ANIMIX - Tel Aviv Animation Festival
    Tel Aviv
    Israel
    August 5, 2025
    Official Selection
  • CineMidrasha
    Kfar Saba
    Israel
    February 10, 2026
    Best Animation
  • Suzdal Animation Festival
    Suzdal
    Russian Federation
    March 19, 2026
    Out of the competition
  • Cultural Animation Film Festival
    Honolulu
    United States
    May 22, 2026
    Official Selection
  • Famagusta Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    May 13, 2026
    Official Selection
  • Live Screenings International Film Festival
    Tbilisi
    Georgia
    May 28, 2026
    Best Animated Film
  • Smadar Film Festival
    Jerusalem
    Israel
    January 13, 2026
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Michael Reichel

Michael Reichel (real name — Mikhail Dudov; born in 2005) is an director and 2D animator. He has worked as an animator on several animated series. Since 2020, he has led the creative association URI Animation, through which he creates original films.

He creates both animated and live-action films.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This film is my attempt to tell a story about the search for meaning, about a person’s desire for something greater, for the “sky” — a concept that everyone understands in their own way. The protagonist encounters absurd, sometimes crude characters who reflect the indifference and cynicism of the world around him. Amid this chaos, he tries to find his way to the place where, he believes, a room, a space, a ticket is waiting for him.

For me, this story is a metaphor for a spiritual journey, where a person faces questions of faith, mockery, and misunderstanding. The question “How do I get to the sky?” is asked literally, but behind it lies a deeper question: Where are we going? What do we expect from life? Who gives us the right to “enter” the place we are striving for?

I was inspired by the theater of the absurd, the works of Daniil Kharms and Franz Kafka, as well as Soviet animation with its plasticity and symbolism. The film’s visual style is deliberately rough, to emphasize the fragility and vulnerability of the protagonist in a vast, incomprehensible world.

This animation is an invitation for the viewer to reflect: Where is your “sky”? And do you even need a ticket to get there?