Greta Scacchi and daughter Leila George are set to act alongside each other in David Vincent Smith’s He Ain’t Heavy, a family drama also starring Sam Corlett that is set to begin filming in Perth’s south-eastern suburbs next Monday.
Inspired by true events, the story follows a desperate sister (George) who kidnaps her beloved brother (Corlett) to save him from addiction. Scacchi will play the family’s matriach, Bev.
Smith wrote the film from his proof-of-concept short I’m Not Hurting You, which premiered at Sydney Film Festival and screened at numerous local and international film festivals including Flickerfest and Austin Film Festival.
His longtime collaborator Jess Parker, of Perth-based No Label Films, is producing He Ain’t Heavy, having previously worked with the writer/director on I’m Not Hurting You and fellow short film Featherweight. Jonathan Page is executive producing, with Bonsai Films handling distribution.
The production announcement comes after Parker and Smith were named the 2021 recipients of Screenwest’s West Coast Visions Initiative, receiving $750,000 of production funding for the film.
Smith said he had been humbled by the commitment shown to subject matter by those involved.
“He Ain’t Heavy provides a canvas to interrogate a real-world dilemma many families wrestle with – the price we are prepared to pay for love; a question without a simple answer,” he said.
For Parker, having George perform alongside her mother was “something very special”.
“Leila, Greta, and Sam bring such an honest and personal connection to our story, portraying a family whose desperation to hold onto each other has left visible claw marks.”
Screenwest CEO Rikki Lea Bestall said the project kicked off “what looks to be a bumper year of production here in WA”.
“David and Jess are an incredibly talented team and we’re pleased to be supporting them as they bring their debut feature to life,” she said.