diff --git a/examples/helloworld.py b/examples/helloworld.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6f92269ad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/helloworld.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import sys
+
+import gi
+gi.require_version('Gst', '1.0')
+from gi.repository import GObject, Gst
+
+def bus_call(bus, message, loop):
+    t = message.type
+    if t == Gst.MessageType.EOS:
+        sys.stout.write("End-of-stream\n")
+        loop.quit()
+    elif t == Gst.MessageType.ERROR:
+        err, debug = message.parse_error()
+        sys.stderr.write("Error: %s: %s\n" % (err, debug))
+        loop.quit()
+    return True
+
+def main(args):
+    if len(args) != 2:
+        sys.stderr.write("usage: %s <media file or uri>\n" % args[0])
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    GObject.threads_init()
+    Gst.init(None)
+        
+    playbin = Gst.ElementFactory.make("playbin", None)
+    if not playbin:
+        sys.stderr.write("'playbin' gstreamer plugin missing\n")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    # take the commandline argument and ensure that it is a uri
+    if Gst.uri_is_valid(args[1]):
+      uri = args[1]
+    else:
+      uri = Gst.filename_to_uri(args[1])
+    playbin.set_property('uri', uri)
+
+    # create and event loop and feed gstreamer bus mesages to it
+    loop = GObject.MainLoop()
+
+    bus = playbin.get_bus()
+    bus.add_signal_watch()
+    bus.connect ("message", bus_call, loop)
+    
+    # start play back and listed to events
+    playbin.set_state(Gst.State.PLAYING)
+    try:
+      loop.run()
+    except:
+      pass
+    
+    # cleanup
+    playbin.set_state(Gst.State.NULL)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    sys.exit(main(sys.argv))