Gemma Atkinson

This is an observational feature documentary 7 years in the making. I've cut this 3 minute trailer to send to investors, funders and commissioners. I'd love to know from you talented scoundrels whether this intrigues you, makes you want to know more, what you want to see more of/less of -and crucially how to improve it to make it more appealing to the money peeps! Here's the logline to get you started:Gary Valentine is a showman, a joker, and an expert in death. At 15 he left school and the council estate he grew up on to become an undertaker. Across six years, The Business of Death follows Gary as he builds a funeral business with his best friend Wayne Turner, overcoming the odds to become the heart of his multi-faith community in South London. Then COVID-19 hits. As the bodies pile up around them, Gary and Wayne are forced to question how they - and the rest of the world - will cope with the business of death in this brutal new reality.In turns shocking, funny and heartbreaking, The Business of Death exposes the hidden frontline of undertakers during the pandemic, and mines the rich humanity of grief, from a very personal perspective.