Perth lawyer Asta Cadell (Deborra-lee Furness) crashes her motorcycle near a small town in Western Australia, where a ‘boys will be boys’ culture allows rape and violence against women. Asta tries to help a young woman (Simone Buchanan) who has been gang-raped, inspiring local women to stand up and rally against criminal behaviour that has gone unpunished.

In this clip, Asta arrives in town and gets her first impression of the locals.

Director Steve Jodrell comments on the NFSA restoration, ‘It has an immaculate freshness and luminosity that reminds me of its initial screening almost 30 years ago. There’s a powerful message in the film – sadly, one that is even more relevant today than when it was first released’.

On the film's release in 1988, Deborra-lee Furness' performance earned her best actress awards from the Film Critics' Circle of Australia and Seattle International Film Festival.

She says now, ‘Shame remains one of my favourite films that I have worked on. I remember the response this film received when it was released, how potent the message was, and how this story resonated globally. I am thrilled that Shame has been restored so that this beautifully crafted film will continue to have an audience.’

The NFSA restoration of Shame premiered at the 2017 Melbourne International Film Festival with director Steve Jodrell and stars Deborra-lee Furness and Simone Buchanan in attendance.