Private Project

Tea Travel

Through travel, sensory experiences, memories, and encounters, we follow a man's transformative journey seeking light and a deeper purpose in life.

  • Julien Jean-Zayatz
    Director / Writer / Editor
  • David Bowen-Jones
    Special Thanks
    Emmy Award nominee
  • Ronw Protheroe
    Special Thanks
    BAFTA Cymru Awards winner
  • Liz Llyod-Griffiths
    Special Thanks
    BAFTA Cymru Awards winner
  • Thomas Springer
    Score Composer
  • Simon Lauris
    Sound Designer
  • Baptiste Brzakowski
    Recording Mixer
  • Rima Salloum
    Graphic Designer
  • Clémence Constantini
    Graphic Designer
  • Noémie Nolot
    Graphic Designer
  • Navet Studio
    VFX
  • Fred Lillo
    Sound recorders
  • Domitile Rey
    Sound recorders
  • Gabriel Jemet
    Sound recorders
  • Fatou Petit-Tenain
    Sound recorders
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 19, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    4,500 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    France, United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    France, Hong Kong, Norway, Spain, Sweden
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

I am French-American of Italian and Eastern European descent, born in Boston and raised in the Normandy countryside. After graduating from high school, I began studying Image Science in Paris. At the same time, to gain practical experience, I worked on small film projects, which confirmed my passion for storytelling. I later continued my university education in Paris to deepen my theoretical knowledge. With my multicultural roots, I was always curious about living abroad. After a few years in the media industry, I relocated to Spain, near Valencia, where I worked as a freelance videomaker and editor. My experiences there inspired my first (proper) short film, Tea Travel, which I am currently submitting to festivals.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

A few years ago, during the pandemic, I quit my steady job in Paris and moved to Spain to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself creatively. This short film came out of that life change, blurring the lines between fiction and reality, and I was strongly advised to be the main character of the story to keep it as authentic as possible. It is deeply personal, a testament to the journey of transformation.

My years abroad during the pandemic were filled with enlightening conversations about uncertainty and introspection. The film speaks to that. It brings things full circle, celebrating the process of change. It’s not a success story or a formula for happiness, but a quiet reminder of hope for those stuck in lives that don’t truly suit them. Based on my own experiences, the film follows a man on a journey to regain control over an unfulfilling life, guided by travel, encounters, sensory experiences, with tea being central.

Tea first caught my attention during a Hong Kong trip a few months before I moved to Spain. Back in Paris, I discovered a tea house owned by one of the world’s most renowned tea masters, Yu Hui Tseng, who introduced me to the complex world of tea and its traditions, very different from my Western approach. But what struck me most was the evocative power of tea, how its scents and flavors could suddenly bring back vivid moments from my past. Tea as a way to explore memory began to take root through this universal experience of reminiscence. When I moved to Spain, I created my tea room, a place to taste, reflect, share, and… remember. Drawing an analogy with “time travel”, as the experience of reminiscence through tea brings you back in time, I like to call it “tea travel”.

Tea Travel is a story of personal transformation and the pursuit of light in times of uncertainty. So sit back, have a cup of tea, and enjoy the journey...