Samson and Delilah

Samson and Delilah is a 2009 Australian drama film directed by Warwick Thornton and starring Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson, both young first-time actors. The film depicts two Indigenous Australian 14-year-olds living in a remote Aboriginal community who steal a car and escape their difficult lives by going to Alice Springs. It won many awards, including the Caméra d'Or at Cannes for best first feature. Plot Samson and Delilah are 14-year-olds who live in an Aboriginal community near Alice Springs in Central Australia. Samson is a mute boy living in a run-down shelter with his brother's band playing ska music all day right outside his bedroom. He sniffs petrol every morning. Samson is interested in Delilah, who lives with her grandmother, and throws a rock at her outside the local convenience store. In spite of mocking encouragement from her grandmother, Delilah is not interested in him. Samson spends a day following Delilah around and attempts to move in with Delilah. Delilah's grandmother dies and the old women blame her "neglect" for the death and thrash her. Samson in a fit of rage beats his brother to shut him and his band up but his brother beats him up. Samson steals a car and takes Delilah to Alice Springs where they live rough under a bridge over the dry bed of the Todd River. Gonzo, a chronic alcoholic homeless man living there, helps them. Samson continues to sniff petrol. At one point, he gets so intoxicated he does not notice when Delilah is taken by a group of white teenagers in a car. She is raped and bashed, but eventually comes back to Samson, who is unconscious. She begins sniffing petrol, too. With Samson again dazed by petrol, they are walking along the street and Delilah is hit by a car. When Samson eventually comes to and realises she has been hit, he believes she is dead and cuts off his hair as a sign of respect. He spends weeks sitting in the same position under the bridge sniffing petrol as a means of getting over her death. She comes back and rescues Samson, and they are both brought back to their camp. As they arrive, one of the old women begins to beat Samson for stealing the community's only car. Delilah decides to take Samson to a secluded area for rehabilitation, and to get over his petrol sniffing habit. Eventually Samson stops sniffing petrol, and over time Delilah is able to coax him back to his original state.