A photographer is hired for a funeral, then discovers the real reason she's there.


THE FUNERAL PHOTOGRAPHER is used with permission from Mark Strauss. Learn more at https://subtexter.com.


Julie has been hired to take photographs at a funeral. It's a somber occasion and she is a bit of a mess herself, but she is given strict instructions by the attendant to take a picture of everyone there -- and she must be done quickly before the service starts.

Julie is confused but goes about her job, trying to work as quickly as possible. But as she immerses herself in the funeral, she notices two suspicious men and wants to discover why they are there. In doing so, she also unravels the reason why she's been hired in the first place.

Directed by Ashley Thompson from a script written by Mark Strauss, this intriguing short drama weaves together mystery, drama and even suspense elements, all of which culminate in a surprising meditation on mortality, memory and the human experience.

The deft storytelling begins simply enough, with Julie trying to get her act together before heading into her job assignment. Disoriented, confused and out of it, she enters the funeral, trying to present a veneer of professionalism, but viewers get a sense that it could fall apart at any moment. At first, the funeral seems on the normal scale of things: somber, hushed and serious, rendered in muted, natural light and soft colors in the visuals. The mystery begins to build, however, when Julie receives very intense, serious instructions to photograph everyone at the funeral, delivered by an equally intense, serious attendant at the funeral home.

Thrown by the intensity of the instruction, Julie goes about the task of photographing the funeral. But through her lens, she quickly notices some suspicious men in the crowd. Actor Tara Hazel Walsh plays both the woman who is struggling personally with the professional who begins to notice something suspicious, pulling viewers along with her curiosity. She uses her ability to go anywhere as a photographer to investigate the situation. But the deeper she delves, the more she realizes that this is no normal job -- and it is also not a normal funeral.

THE FUNERAL PHOTOGRAPHER builds up tension as Julie edges closer to the truth, culminating in a reveal that recasts the earlier part of the narrative in a new, more philosophical light. To be more specific would give it away, but it does reveal a larger design at work, one that gives Julie a new role and meaning moving forward. She wraps up her job, understanding finally why she had it in the first place and finds herself with enough clarity to go on to the next one with greater understanding and compassion.