Juan - UAL Grad Film

JUAN is a grad film being made by students from University of the Arts London. 

We would be extremely grateful for any amount of support in making this film a reality!


SYNOPSIS

Juan and his two sons, Jose and Paco, live as gypsies in a Spanish countryside town.  After his wife's death, Juan struggles to understand what the meaning of family and love is. One evening, while celebrating Spain's 2010 World Cup win, he finds out that his son Jose is gay. Influenced by what the town may think, as well as his own views on masculinity, the film follows Juan as he struggles to accept his son's sexuality.

The film will be shot in Spain and entirely in Spanish. 


FROM THE DIRECTORS

Samuel Hart

Alhaurin el Grande is a sleepy countryside town sat at the bottom of a mountain in Malaga, Spain. Orange trees grow from every garden, two churches celebrate small religious ceremonies with the townspeople and the sun beats down on old, peeling houses scattered between olive fields and winding roads. When Ben proposed a story he had based on his time spent living there for 9 years as a child, I found myself engrossed in the cultural significance of the landscape and community. JUAN is a story that tackles fatherhood, identity, masculinity and acceptance. With inspiration from domestic dramas and coming of age works such as Clavellino’s Journey To A Mother’s Room and Kore-Eda’s Shoplifters, we aim to make a film that pays homage to Alhaurin el Grande whilst tackling the gentle emotional shifts and conflict within fatherhood and family relationships.


Ben Keeling

The town of Alhaurin el Grande has always felt like home to me. I don’t think I ever realised, until now, how much I connect with the atmosphere and culture of traditional Spain. The visual tone and soundscape of the town is vivid in my memory. Every scene in the script is a real place that exists in the town, and I found myself being extremely detailed when writing every scene. In recent years, after living in a modern city, I’ve had a craving to capture the town and make it one of the centrepieces of a project. This is exactly that. JUAN is a modern story in a traditional setting, touching on sexuality, masculinity, community and what it means to be family.

It was really important for me to tell the story of the father, to take in his character and to understand him as human being. From this we can look into the perspective of the many people in the world who still have a lack of understanding of LGBTQ+ topics. People who aren’t necessarily bad people - just scared and uneducated on the subject. In Spain's current political climate, topic seems more relevant than ever.


GET A FEEL FOR THE FILM! 




MEET THE CREW!





WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING?

Being our grad film, we aim to make this film the best it can possibly be, but raising £4000 is no small feat for university students. That's why we need as much help as we can get!
As the film takes place in Spain, a majority of the money we raise will be going towards travel and housing for crew and actors. The rest will be going towards things like the art department, rental equipment, and locations.



KEEP UPDATED!

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/juanshortfilm/ 

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Juan-111230363703047/?view_public_for=111230363703047 

Any Questions or ways you think you could help? Email us!
[email redacted] 


THANK YOU