Samson & Delilah

04.05.09 | by Sabine Haider - Director of Central Art

Central Art was approached a few months ago from a film sales and acquisition company based in Paris to provide Aboriginal art to decorate their...

Central Art was approached a few months ago from a film sales and acquisition company based in Paris to provide Aboriginal art to decorate their stand, which represents the Warlpiri people of Central Australia. Central Art designed a beautiful poster displaying a major work from Warlpiri artist Malcolm Jagamarra Lander River. The Lander River - the birthplace of Malcolm Jagamarra is a significant site to the Warlpiri Aboriginal people, where ceremonies, sacred songs, dance cycles and Dreamings emerge. Other Warlpiri artists work incorporated in the poster include Dadu Gorey Nungarrayi and Maureen Hudson Nampijinpa. Our photographer Marianna Massey provided wonderful desert images of the area.

This company represents independent and foreign films. Being produced is an Aboriginal film called SAMPSON & DELILAH. This film will be presented in the upcoming Cannes Films Festival in Paris this month and already there is optimism that this film will be somewhere in the official selection.

It tells the story of Samson, a cheeky 15-year-old boy, and Delilah who live in an isolated Aboriginal community in the Central Australian desert. In amongst a tiny collection of houses, everything here happens in a cycle. Day in and day out – nothing changes, everything stays the same and no one seems to care. The two teenagers soon discover that life outside the community can be cruel. Though hungry and rejected Samson and Delilah fall in love. It is all they have. It is real. And when tragedy strikes they turn their backs on home and embark on a journey of survival. Lost, unwanted and alone they discover that life isn’t always fair, but love never judges.

A special screening for Alice Springs residents at the Telegraph Station took place a few weeks ago. An amazing crowd of over 3000 people attended the event. Helen McEwen , Sabine's assistant saw the film and enjoyed it, because it showed exactly how it is; the many hardships and difficult situations many Aboriginal people are faced with sometimes without knowing where help available. We need to continue to work and improve Aboriginal people lives and give the young people self esteem and encouragement.

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