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title: Artoo in Love: R2-D2 Replica Finds Romance in Short Film
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og:title: Watch R2-D2 Fall in Love in This Touching Short Film
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# Watch R2-D2 Find Love in This Touching Short Film

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by 

[Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/)


## Samantha Grossman


Apr 1, 2015 5:48 PM UTC

by 

[Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/)


## Samantha Grossman


Apr 1, 2015 5:48 PM UTC

You might think of robots as emotionless shells, but this sweet new short film shows R2-D2 of _Star Wars_ fame as a complex, sentient being.

The film is called _Artoo in Love_ and premiered this weekend at the Sonoma Film Festival.

“People have definitely been having real emotional reactions to it,” director Evan Atherton [told Mashable](http://mashable.com/2015/03/31/artoo-in-love/). Atherton is an engineer at software company Autodesk, where he used 3D printers to construct props for the film. (He has spent the last two years building them, Gizmodo [reports](http://gizmodo.com/how-autodesks-experimental-lab-gave-us-an-odd-little-s-1694464420).)

In the film, R2-D2 deals with unrequited love, but eventually finds a way to mend his broken heart. _Artoo in Love_ is cute — and it’s especially impressive knowing how much work went into it.

### See the Concept Art For the Original Star Wars Movie Trilogy

![C-3PO and R2-D2](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5674a2eab827955a/69868d9f13c79f7877191ec0/1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

C-3PO and R2-D2 Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![The Millenium Falcon](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt41885cdd20edfd44/69868da0810bbb0ac5c915d3/5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

The Millenium Falcon Courtesy of Lucasfilm


![Darth Vader](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4649e5657ba8c87f/69868da0169ab0652b2791ef/6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Darth Vader Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Y-Wings line up against the Death Star](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta7e9e081d0a5cbba/69868da01eebf7027b370b5d/7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Y-Wings line up against the Death Star Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![An X-Wing versus TIE fighters](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt970e9c4a4bd9e973/69868d99361760139390bcea/8.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

An X-Wing versus TIE fighters Courtesy of Lucasfilm


![Hoth](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc048511b6079d2e8/69868d9acd68483f7e09473f/9.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Hoth Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Echo Base](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3534dca0addf7dda/69868d9ae53aba42994d265a/10.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Echo Base Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Battle of Hoth](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0073c495e8185c83/69868d9b13c79f1eb8191eb7/12.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Battle of Hoth Courtesy of Lucasfilm


![Battle of Hoth](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt61d86620a794b7ff/69868d9a06f2c1a54832eb79/11.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Battle of Hoth Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Cloud City of Bespin](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1a6cb82e5264c71d/69868d9bcd804d588dccaa75/13.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Cloud City of Bespin Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Luke versus Darth Vader](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteb89c67eaa21136d/69868d9bf983e77f9f04d9fb/14.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Luke versus Darth Vader Courtesy of Lucasfilm


![Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf5d9574db10dff10/69868d9cf983e7f26d04d9ff/16.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Luke Skywalker versus Darth Vader Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Dagobah](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt596ceb4daf20865f/69868d9ccd804d3eeeccaa79/15.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Dagobah Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Jabba's Palace](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf2d42d536d389bde/69868d9c169ab071ed2791e6/17.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jabba's Palace Courtesy of Lucasfilm


![Jabba's Palace](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt377952b7768119a2/69868d9d06f2c17c1832eb7e/18.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jabba's Palace Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Luke Skywalker versus a rancor](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt72dbc6a199250e1a/69868d9dcd804d4344ccaa7d/19.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Luke Skywalker versus a rancor Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Jabba's fall](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7d2e27b13379070e/69868d9dcd804d5311ccaa81/20.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jabba's fall Courtesy of Lucasfilm


![Endor](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt731edc0aa37c69c7/69868d9e810bbbd4ecc915cb/21.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Endor Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![B-Wings](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10ac55dbbd0dfe70/69868d9e361760026190bcee/22.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

B-Wings Courtesy of Lucasfilm

![Luke Skywalker versus Emperor Palpatine](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0b4fa4b1ca1612d4/69868d9e35ba6fc1b0c01ce7/24.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Luke Skywalker versus Emperor Palpatine Courtesy of Lucasfilm

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