Cinema Review: Don’t Tell

There will be a special screening of a fine new Australian film at the Brunswick Picture House at 7pm, Thursday 6 July. 

Director Tori Garrett’s Don’t Tell deals with a difficult issue but approaches it in a redemptive and uplifting tone. Based on true events (of which there are sadly so many more being exposed), it looks at the plight of Lyndal (Sara West), who, after being sexually abused as an eleven-year-old while attending a prestigious Anglican private school in Toowoomba, decided that rather than just consign her ordeal to a history that would never let her forget it, she stood up and fought – not just for personal gain, but also for others who have suffered similarly. Intimidation is always the first resort of those who believe that their status is unassailable and Lyndal, 22 at the time her case was brought before the court, was put under immense pressure to be a good girl and be happy with the Church’s unacceptable offer of compromise.

It is essential for us, as a society, to know that justice can prevail and that our institutions (in this instance the Law of the Land) have not been entirely trashed – that anybody with Lyndal’s courage might confront established but unacceptable patterns of behaviour and strike a blow for decency.

A stellar cast includes Byron’s own Martin Sacks, who was drawn to the project because of the gravity of its subject matter. ‘It’s so important that these matters are exposed to the light of day, that they are not swept under the carpet,’ he says with conviction. And the opportunity to work with such a stellar group of actors was one that Martin also jumped at. ‘Mate,’ he continues, ‘When you get a chance to be involved in a worthwhile project with the likes of Jack Thompson, Rachel Griffiths, Aden Young and Susie Porter, you don’t knock it back. The great thing is that all of these people were keen to get onboard as soon as they became aware of the movie’s ambition. And it’s a terrific script, too.’ Don’t miss it.