'Unfinished Sky' is at heart a tender love story of two broken people coming together under less than ideal circumstances.

Against the majestic backdrop of the Australian countryside, gruff loner John and Afghani refugee Tahmeena do not exactly "meet cute".

A terrified Tahmeena collapses in John's driveway, beaten and clad in nothing but an oversized yellow raincoat — and he takes the unconscious stranger into his home.

The film, from Australian director Peter Duncan, allows Tahmeena's story to unravel slowly and along the way, we learn that John too has a story to tell.

At first John wants nothing more than to be rid of Tahmeena. She cannot speak any English and gives him little reason to want to help after running away from the house in terror and threatening him with a gun. Like many citizens in developed countries, he displays an antipathy for "illegals" rather than empathy.

But when a couple of local small time hoods come looking for a "cleaner" they say they hired but who ran away, John begins to piece together that Tahmeena may be seriously under threat.

He takes small steps to investigate what might really have happened to Tahmeena and meanwhile, the two slowly begin to trust one another.

Both characters are strongly portrayed. Despite the trauma Tahmeena has experienced both in Afghanistan and over the course of her journey and time in Australia, she is far from beaten down.

Tahmeena is a fighter who defends herself and never wavers in her desire to find her family within Australia. She stands up to John and challenges him, despite being in as desperately precarious position.

But all the forces seem to be aligned against the pair — with the Police looking for the illegal "cleaner" and everyone in John's rural area attuned to the smallest change in routine from their fellow inhabitants, especially one as removed from polite society as John, who lost his wife in a farm accident some found suspicious.

This film is very likeable but despite its dark undercurrents does not seem to break new ground. It offers attractive actors, suspense, tension and warmth but has a few shortcomings.

It falls into the common film-trap of needing one of its main characters to learn a new language is in an alarmingly fast amount of time. But maybe a small annoyance which tweaks only those who've tried harder to master a new language.

Unfinished Sky also gives a human face to the plight of refugee women which is often ignored and tells a hopeful tale of finding new life and love out of the darkest ashes.

** Unfinished Sky will be screened tonight at 6.30 p.m. at Little Theatre.