Hot off the heels of the release of his acclaimed feature film Boiling Point, Philip Barantini directs a heartfelt promo for Sam Tompkins. 

Thematically exploring the artist's relationship with his Dad, Tompkins transforms into a middle-aged version of himself in the video for Hero - complete with thinning hair and a wife and son of his own - and gets to grips with the challenges of ageing whilst battling his own demons. 

Tompkins' character leaves home early one morning, and drives to a cliff, where he contemplates ending it all - before reminiscing over a photo he has in his pocket, remembering a day with his family. The final shots see the artist remove his makeup and interact with the crew, breaking character before going to call his Dad for real.

It's a poignant and relatable concept, brought to life by Barantini's sensitive direction and ability to extrapolate pure emotion from the cast. 

"When Sam and his team sent the brief for Hero I was immediately drawn to the honesty, and how powerful the message was," says Barantini. "I really hope anyone who is struggling might find the strength to reach out when they watch it. It was a joy to work with such a passionate bunch of people on this too."