Penny Anderson (Sharon Millerchip) has just arrived in the country town of Appleton to become the new local doctor. Although she grew up there, she is still considered something of an outsider, like the other city slickers who have turned up in recent times and the refugees who now live there. What’s more, she’s a lesbian and a vegetarian.

Sapidah Kian, Sharon Millerchip and Amber McMahon. Photograph © Phil Erbacher

Things only get worse when Penny discovers that little has changed at the annual Potato Race. The event may be organised by women but the winner of the woman’s race only wins $200, while the prize for the men is $1000. Sure, the men carry more potatoes but even so… Setting out to try and raise enough so that the women take home equal prize money, Penny is surprised to find that the organisers are downright hostile to her idea. She presses on anyway with the help of Syrian refugee Rania Hamid (Sapidah Kian) only to find doors slammed in their face, while the trolling on social media is vicious.

Even Penny’s cousin Nikki Armstrong (Amber McMahon), the local hairdresser and regular potato race...