Don't Look Under the Bed by Juan del Gado

Don't Look Under the Bed was made as part of Juan del Gado's MA in media arts at the University of Westminster. It was entirely self-funded, costing £7,000. The original was made for showing at an art gallery, as an installation on two screens, with the viewer looking from one to the other. The text is from Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, which he wrote while he was in prison for homosexual 'offences'. This week Pulse shows a short extract.

'It's an experimental film which explores issues related to social exclusion and intolerance,' Juan told VEE-TV. 'The subject is Section 28, a law passed by the government of Margaret Thatcher in 1986, which forbids the teaching and "promotion" of homosexuality as a family lifestyle.'

Juan says that making a film requires a lot more than creativity. 'Working with 17 young actors and a crew of 20 people was one of the most challenging and exciting experiences I have ever had. Definitely, film-making is about determination and being able to understand other people's requirements if you want to be successful.'

In 1997 Juan's photographic work was selected by the John Kobal Photographic Portraiture Awards and exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. His experimental film The Passion of Teresa (1999) was shown at the third Disability Film Festival, the Lux Cinema, the Portobello Film Festival, and the Festival du Cinema de Lyon.

Juan works as a guest lecturer at both University of Westminster and Kent Institute of Art and Design. He won a scholarship from the British Academy in 2000.

Juan is currently in pre-production with a new art film entitled From Void to the Body, which focuses on suicide. He is also working on a video installation about illegal immigration.

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