Project Detail

What About Gary?

What About Gary?
What About Gary?

Synopsis

WHAT ABOUT GARY is a raw and emotive documentary that delves into the tragic consequences of misinformation, exploring how conspiracy theories led to the death of Gary Matthews from Covid-19. The film intimately portrays the profound grief of Gary's family and friends as they grapple with this senseless loss.
Director Tristan Copeland, Gary's cousin, questions the purveyors of these falsehoods, driven by a need to understand why they ensnared Gary. Through vérité footage, archival materials, and Gary's own paintings, the film explores Gary’s descent into a distorted reality, seeking the root causes of his susceptibility to misinformation.
Shot during the pandemic in Shrewsbury, England, WHAT ABOUT GARY captures the isolation that made many, including Gary, vulnerable to manipulation. With kinetic editing, evocative camera work, and a poignant score, the film examines how society failed to protect its citizens from misinformation.
A potentially controversial yet vital work that questions how conspiracy theorists wield such influence and whether others can be saved from similar fates. A cautionary tale for a world grappling with truth in the digital age, and a tribute to a life tragically cut short, driven by a need to understand why.

Details

Year
2025
Type of project
Features
Running time
104 min
Format
4K Digital Video
Director
Tristan M Copeland 1st Feature
Producer
Marah Strauch, Tristan M Copeland
Co-Producer
Mary Carson, Christine Hartland, Rachel Wexler
Executive Producer
Nick Broomfield, Ben Coulson, Dan Davies
Editor
Dan Jobar BFE, J. Davis
Screenwriter
Tristan M Copeland
Director of Photography
Tristan M Copeland
Composer
Joe Duddell
Principal cast
With contributions from: Gary Matthews, Tristan Copeland, Charlie Parker, Adam Birch, Bill Matthews, Emma Jane Matthews, Janet Kinnersley, Marianna Spring

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Tea Cup Productions Limited

71-75 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9JQ

Page updates

This page was last updated on 13th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Marc Munden directs the cast of Lord of the Flies Making of Lord of the Flies

Director: Lisa Marie Russo

Year: 2026

A trippy tale capturing the creative vision of writer Jack Thorne and director Marc Munden, as a British crew and young cast film this timely adaptation on the remote islands and interior of Malaysia during monsoon season. The crew battle twisters, torrential rain and scary insects to create this hallucinatory fever dream, featuring behind the scenes interviews, observational footage and mesmerising performances by the newbie cast.

Dungeon Masterhood Dungeon Masterhood

Director: Carina Nichaouchine

Year: 2026

Brothers Thomas and Sam have nothing in common, except that they play Dungeons & Dragons with their friends. Each week they escape into a fantasy world. Over four years, the group grow up and move on but Thomas, the Dungeon Master, refuses to let go.

A woman reading through script I Didn't Want To Be Here

Director: Fionnuala McCormack

Year: 2026

An intimate portrait of a women's group in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The documentary follows the women as they collaboratively create a stage production. Through writing sessions, rehearsals, and candid conversations, the women craft a performance rooted in their lived experiences - stories shaped by addiction, family fracture, and encounters with the justice system. The documentary follows the evolving group dynamic, capturing moments of vulnerability, frustration, and unexpected humour as the women negotiate what it means to share such personal stories in a public space for the first time.