Veritas Films, LP · Investor presentation

Burying Doris

Doris's last wish: one more weekend with the whole family under her roof. They'd rather be anywhere else.

A dark comedy Written by Nick Gambino · Directed by Michael Rekola Shooting August 2027
the farm, Brooklyn CT

The film

One weekend. Seventy-two acres.

When their grandmother dies, two feuding siblings get one weekend to clear out her New England farm before it sells, and their peacemaker little brother is hiding a reason they can't walk away.

That means Hank, whose perfect family is quietly falling apart, under one roof with Charlie, the sister who stopped speaking to him long ago. Their youngest brother Quinn has a plan to save the farm, and a reason he's running out of time.

Dark comedy / family drama · Eight leads · One farm and one cemetery · Contemporary New England

across the pond, looking home
Doris leans over Quinn on the couch, backlit by the window
Last Laughs, 2026

Plays muted. Tap the speaker icon for sound, or watch on YouTube ↗

The proof of concept

Last Laughs

A four-minute prologue to Burying Doris, directed by Michael Rekola, made to prove the tone and the farm before the feature spends a dollar.

Cannes Short Film Corner, Rendez-vous Industry 2026 Official Selection, Mystic Film Festival 2026

Director's statement

“Family is hard work, but hard work worth doing. Burying Doris is a film for the living.”

My grandmother, Doris Rekola, died on April 13, 2020, in the early days of COVID, without a final hug or a goodbye. Nick Gambino and I wrote this story out of that loss: the grief, the fights, and the laughter that holds a family together.

Michael RekolaDirector

Tone

Performance first. Truth in emotion over dialogue.

In the tradition of

  • Ordinary People
  • August: Osage County
  • This Is Where I Leave You
  • Manchester by the Sea
  • Good Will Hunting
  • Brief Encounter
  • Rebecca

The look

A New England pastoral

Places

Natural light, soft and warm. The farm always in frame, calling.

People

Asymmetrical framing and blocking for depth. The camera observes.

Faces

Whole-face framing lit by practicals. Every scene lives on emotion.

Shot 2.39 : 1

The fenced field and flagpole under snow
Doris watches Quinn from across the couch in warm lamplight
People
The dark barn with its rooster weathervane in morning sun
The farmhouse below a great maple in spring
The white farmhouse with its stone chimney
Places
Close-up of Quinn, eyes lowered, Doris's hands cradling his face
Faces
The old red tractor beside the barn
Split-rail fence along the field and pond in spring
The sugar shack at dusk, a fire burning by the stone wall

The family

Eight leads, one roof

Hank, 30s

The eldest. Holding up a perfect-life story that's falling apart.

Charlie, 30s

Sharp as a whip, quicker to fight. Hasn't spoken to Hank in years.

Quinn, 25

The youngest. Lived with Doris. The family's peacemaker, with a secret.

Gavin White, on hold

Frank, 60s

Doris's son. Big heart, passive to a fault.

Jean, 60s

Doris's spunky neighbor and the weekend's referee.

Beatrice, 30s

Charlie's girlfriend, meeting the family for the first time.

Joey, 16

Charlie's son. Films everything, to an obnoxious extreme.

Nikki, 30s

Childhood friend of the Whitmans, and Hank's one that got away.

The team

Who's making it

Creative team

Michael Rekola

Director, Producer

Producer on Oliver Irving's Seed and Seems like Time. Co-Founder of 555 Films. Feature directing debut.

Nick Gambino

Writer

Drama Feature winner, 2022 Austin Film Festival. His first produced feature.

Chris Heck

Producer

Two-time regional Emmy winner. Produced I've Seen All I Need to See (Bulldog, 2026).

Miguel Norigenna

Director of Photography

Cinematographer since 2010 for Paramount Network, Showtime and ESPN+.

Executive producers and cast

Paul Coyne

Executive Producer

Former Goldman Sachs trader and hospital executive; lead Limited Partner of Veritas.

Oliver Irving

Executive Producer, attached

Writer-director of How to Be (Robert Pattinson), Ghost Team, and Seed.

Gavin White

Quinn, on hold

SAG-AFTRA actor, Chapman University. Credits include Reacher and SEAL Team.

Follow the film

“We are because she was.”
The farmhouse porch lit at dusk
Doris's porch at dusk

Get updates

Instagram @byrekola · Mike@RekolaStudios.com