'' 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 . It was filmed in and around Alice Springs . Described as a " survival love story " by the director , 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 . The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival , winning the Caméra d'Or ( ' Gold Camera Award ' for best first feature film ) at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival . The film also won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Film in 2009 . Screen Australia announced on 29 September 2009 that the film had been nominated as Australia 's official entry in the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film category
2009 Cannes Film Festival
2009 Cannes Film Festival
Samson and Delilah (2009 film)