Samson & Delilah, the winner of the Camera d'Or at this years Cannes Film Festival, is the feature film debut from Australian director Warwick Thornton. Prominent Australian critic David Stratton has given the film 5 stars and stated that it may even be the best Australian film ever made. Now, that's high praise from a veteran critic who has stood on the juries of many film festivals, so it was with great anticipation that I headed into the cinema to see what all the fuss was about. And while I wouldn't go as far as to say it's the best Aussie flick ever, it is certainly a very good film that tells an important story.

So what is the story? Far from being about the Biblical Samson & Delilah (though there are references to the cutting of hair), the Samson & Delilah in this film are a couple of Aboriginal teenagers living in a remote, neglected community in central Australia where nothing much happens. Samson passes his time petrol-sniffing and following Delilah around, trying to gain her affection. Delilah does her best to ignore Samson while painting with her grandmother, taking her to the doctor and to church. When tragedy hits, Samson and Delilah run away from the community and begin living on the streets in Alice Springs. As their relationship develops they face continued hardship as they struggle to survive.

There's not much more to the story than that, and I don't want to give away too much more. But ultimately this is a love story between two young, indigenous Australians who are dealing with a variety of issues such as living in an isolated community, becoming homeless, violence, grief, substance abuse, and being society's forgotten people. It's beautifully told with little dialogue, excellent cinematography, and great performances from the young actors (Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson). It's quite a powerful movie that is ultimately hopeful and uplifting.

There's much in the film that will spark conversation, or at least provoke thought amongst the audience. One such instance that did this for me was a scene in which Delilah is trying to sell one of her paintings so that she and Samson can get some money for food. Going up to strangers as they eat at a local cafe, she is brushed aside and ignored.

So often things like this occur in our own lives, only we're not the ones begging. I myself have brushed homeless people aside, refused to give them money without even giving it a second thought. But this film gives those people a voice; it shows us that there is a story behind everyone, reasons why they are where they are. And maybe next time, we will have this in the back of our minds when someone begs us for a couple of dollars so they can buy some bread.

The hope in the film comes from the image of a cross. We see this many times as Delilah takes her grandmother to church, and we see it when Delilah is on the streets and she walks into the local church. And ultimately we see it at the end when Delilah decides to make some changes. It is an image that reminds us that there is always hope, no matter how hopeless our situation may seem. And it's an image that reminds Delilah that no matter how much she is rejected by society, no matter how badly she is treated, there is someone there who loves her, cares for her, and will help her through whatever life throws her way.

But despite all of this, your average film-goer probably won't enjoy Samson & Delilah. As I mentioned, it is a slowly-paced movie heavily focused on the characters rather than action. So if you head to the movie theatre just to see the latest blockbusters on offer, this is not the film for you. But if you enjoy independent movies that tell unique character driven stories and you like to think about the films you watch, I'd suggest this one.

It's a remarkable achievement from a first-time feature director on a limited budget ($1.6 million) with a very small crew.

It deserves to be seen.