Samson and Delilah

Samson is fifteen and lives in a remote Aboriginal community in the Central Australian desert, he sniffs petrol to get high. Delilah lives in the same community diligently looking after her elderly grandma and creating rug painting’s to sell to tourists, their main source of income. When grandma passes away Delilah is accused of neglecting the old lady and beaten by the females of her family. The two children steal a truck and escape to nearby Alice Springs where things get worse. Few people show any kind of compassion to the two youngsters except the alcoholic Gonzo who shares his living quarters under a bridge.

Samson and Delilah.

Samson and Delilah (2009) is the debut feature film of Australian director, screenwriter and cinematographer Warwick Thornton. It’s a unconventional love story that develops slowly out of a desperate need to survive and one that’s about people locked in to the lowest rung of society, a society that unrecognisable from our own. Both Marissa Gibson, who plays Delilah and Rowan McNamara, who plays Samson are both appearing in their debut feature film and although there is very little dialogue they make their characters totally convincing. This beautifully shot engaging movie won many awards including the Camera d’Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.