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Clip description
Asta survives an attack by four youths. Local cop Wal Cuddy (Peter Aanesen) is indifferent to Asta’s complaints until she reveals herself as a lawyer.
Curator’s notes
Shame exposes the dark side of Aussie mateship. The conspiracy of silence around sexual crimes in the town extends to local cop Cuddy, who dismisses Asta’s ordeal as nothing much more than the youthful exuberance of the community’s young males. But Cuddy has underestimated Asta and shows discomfort when she reveals her legal qualifications. By setting Asta’s confrontation with Cuddy in a public place the screenplay creates a vivid sense of dark secrets finally coming to light, and the tide slowly turning against Cuddy and the men he protects.
