Relove

A mid-class everyman, Liu Ti, broke up with his 5-years relationship girlfriend after he moved to another state without workplace oppression, but he regrets it soon. By chance, he entraps into a time loop, in which he travels back time five years ago. Liu needs to start the relationship with his ex-girlfriend again, and the only chance to escape from the loop and let time run forwards is to successfully pursue his ex-girlfriend like what he did 5 years ago.

  • Jiatong Zhao
    Director
  • Jiatong Zhao
    Writer
  • Bingxue Dong
    Writer
  • Xinyun Wu
    Producer
  • Qinyan Yu
    Producer
  • Jiatong Zhao
    Producer
  • Yitong Xia
    Art Director
  • Zhankun Qi
    DP
  • Zhongdi Chen
    Sound Recorder
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    回爱
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Romance, Suspense, Retro-futurism
  • Runtime:
    39 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 19, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of New South Wales and University of Sydney and UTS
Director Biography - Jiatong Zhao

Jay Jiatong Zhao was born in 2002 in Shenzhen City southern China. His story with film started when he was in year 5 primary school where with his friends he made a 3-minute short film during lunch break. At year 7, Jiatong realised how film is important to his life and future and works on it as a goal. Two films were completed in his junior high school period.

Unfortunately, due to the high pressure of Chinese education and examination system, his filmmaking in the teen era had to suspend, until he went to Sydney.

Time fleeted as Jiatong follows his childhood dream to study film at university.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Inspired by the neon image of the 80s plus the city pop and synthwave musics, I wish to render a retrowave vision for this film with the topic set in the future. The nostalgic and vaporwave aesthetics provide an experience of the audience to travel across time.

I experiment with the theme of love and time, with the character’s attitude and emotion of regret and persistence. The film is structured within a time loop, where the protagonist is exploring together with the audience to escape, also a process of redemption to love again and complete a past regretted decision. I want to explore a very basic question that how love can generate between two individuals. I then set a goal of the protagonist to fall in love with his ex-girlfriend again in the time loop. His failures each time discourses the inconsistency, coincidence, and randomness of love quality.

Moreover, I intend to question the authenticity and imitation of youth’s love within the dystopian setting focusing on the workplace oppression. The virtual game Relove in the film discusses the evolution of individuals’ values and behaviours of love across time, in consideration with the impact from digital culture on our relationship.