Set in Western Australia's wheatbelt in 1968 (though filmed at Harden, New South Wales),[1] it stars Xavier Samuel and Clarence John Ryan as two teenagers whose interracial friendship struggles to withstand the expectations of their community.
One weekend, on a shopping trip to town, the boys go to the cinema, where the colour bar obliges them to sit in separate rows.
As they engage in friendly sparring, Paddy forms the ambition of escaping slavery by joining Jimmy Sharman's fairground boxing troupe.
[3] Stuart Diwell of The Sunday Tasmanian gives it very bad review concluding "Director Peter Carstairs and his co-writer Ant Horn clearly think they have profound things to say about issues as varied as adolescence and race in Australia.
"[5] The Sun Herald's Rob Lowing gave it 7/10 saying "it is a delicate movie to be savoured, and admired for its rewarding last-minute plot moves.
"[6] Writing in Variety Russell Edwards gave it a positive capsual review, stating the "script skillfully draws together its disparate elements and is powerful enough to transcend the film’s considerable limitations.