Thoughts on the Title Sequence

90s draft trailer for my Film: <I Want To Know>

My idea for this film:

The theme of this film is about paternal love. I want to ask my father a question through the film: "If you saw the current Haoran Zhang making progress, would you still have given up on me and our originally happy family ten years ago? Do you regret it?"

Why you think this project is worthwhile：

Why do I believe this film is worth making? Firstly, for me, my father's abandonment has been a knot in my heart for many years. I have always believed that my youthful mischief and poor grades made my father think I was a child not worth nurturing. In addition, his career was on the rise, and in order not to be burdened by me, he decisively abandoned both me and my mother. Fortunately, my mother kept this secret from me. She worked hard to earn money to support my education abroad. It wasn't until I graduated from university that she revealed the truth to me. That's when I realized how much my mother sacrificed to protect me. As I grew up, I have been striving to excel in everything I do, making the most of the limited time I have with him to demonstrate my growth. I want to prove to him that I am not the 'bad child' he labeled me as. I want to tell him that I, too, can become as outstanding as he is. Through this project, I want to know if Dad would regret his previous decision upon seeing the person I have become. I want to ask him, if you saw the current Haoran Zhang like this, would you be willing to give me a bit more time, a bit more understanding when I was young, and provide me with a complete home and a happy childhood?

Furthermore, in many Chinese families today, parents still practice what is known as 'Chinese-style education'. They often oppress and criticize their children under the guise of 'it's for your own good, grades are everything'. This isn't love or proper education for the child, but rather a form of psychological manipulation where parents try to mold them into what they desire most. This also leads to many children experiencing depression and indirectly contributes to the breakdown of many families.

So through this film, I also want parents to know, don't define your children with a failure label just because of their momentary mischief. With more affirmation from parents, children will gain more confidence and courage. Believe in them, for gold will always shine. Only in a complete and happy family can children grow up healthy.

How you will go about making your project:

I would start by choosing a small room. A beam of light shines on me, and another beam shines on my childhood self (portrayed by an actor). We both look at the father in front of us, who has his back turned, and ask the question, 'If you saw the current Haoran Zhang like this, would you be willing to give me a bit more time, a bit more understanding, and provide me with a complete home and a happy childhood?'.

In the second part, I will try to find DVD videos of my childhood to restore the happy and happy family life when I was a child.

The third part would consist of some fragmented scenes, including 'poor report cards, instances of my father scolding me, scenes of arguments between my parents, ultimately concluding with a shot of the divorce certificate (representing my father's departure).'

The fourth part would include some scenes of me working hard to study, interning in society, and a few moments attending events with my father. Then, I would revisit the places where I used to play with my father, witness other father-son interactions, and finally focus on a wall. This wall displays group photos from every birthday, but after the age of 12, only photos of myself and my mother remain. This wall also bears witness to my father's departure.

The fifth part, which is also the conclusion, I would use concealed recording to document my conversation with my father. I would talk to him about the changes in my life over the past few years, and then ask the initial question, waiting for his response. This response would be unscripted, representing my father's genuine thoughts. Therefore, I do not know whether he would regret his decision back then, or if he would be willing to accept his past self.

The final part is also a climax of the film, and it is the place where I finally untangle my own emotional knot.