He Ain’t Heavy

Campaign overview

Carnival was honoured to work with the filmmaker Jess Parker (No Labels) and Bonsai Films to craft a visually arresting key art campaign for this important and challenging film. Inspired by the real-life experience of director David Vincent Smith, He Ain’t Heavy explores the depth of family bonds and how far you’d go to save a family member, despite how challenging they may be. We sought to position the film beautifully and strikingly, avoid it being too ominous or threatening, and let the characters’ demeanours speak for themselves. The trailer (cut by The Solid State) expertly avoids direct references to Sam’s issues but hints at the underlying troubles.

Carnival developed two finished posters in portrait and landscape formats.

About the film

Leila George stars, alongside her mother Greta Scacchi, as a young woman so determined to save her drug-addicted brother that she locks him in a room to get clean. 

Jade (Leila George) has never been able to travel overseas. She’s too worried about her meth-addicted brother Max (Sam Corlett, Vikings: Valhalla), always on call to take him to hospital or provide first aid after he’s self-harmed. In desperation, she finally confines Max in a room inside the rural house left by their grandmother. But then Jade’s mother (Greta Scacchi) arrives, and she’s appalled that her son is caged like an animal. What follows is a tense, superbly acted chamber drama.

Creative Credits

Art Direction / Design: Demi Hopkins
Finishing: Nic Greene
Photography: David Dare Parker