Category: World Cinema
Language: Turkish-English
Director: Selim Evci
Running time: 102 minutes
A drama about relationships and the fissures that crack open unwittingly, Secret employs a slow narrative to portray everyday life, its failings and connotations.
Part of the World Cinema category, the film zooms in on two separate families, not falling under the dysfunctional tag, nevertheless, has some issues that are well-kept secrets from the other members.
A musician, Mahir Dey, who lives with his daughter, starts a relationship with her friend, Duru. Duru’s father is conventional and doesn’t want his daughters to get seriously involved with anyone. So much so that he arranges for a virginity check for Duru, who he thinks could be seeing someone. Duru grows feistier, but what started out as a fascinating relationship with Mahir Dey fizzles out after their first trip together.
Duru’s father, Ali, a seemingly pious man who looks after his family and attends to the needs of everyone, has secrets of his own. Opening up the worlds of hypocrisy and deceit, the secret of Duru is soon buried six feet under.
But what happens to Ali’s secret? The movie doesn’t answer that and leaves us with Ali’s explanation of committing adultery—if the woman isn’t from your religion, it’s fine.
Secret is shrouded in furtive frames, but it doesn’t divulge much until the end, which makes the intent of the film a bit blurry. A slow-running movie, it takes a good look at familial bonds, the lies and the conflicts that become part of this social construct.
In the last frame, both the fathers share a smoke, unaware of what’s going on in the other’s life. But it’s not the end, just another episode of their lives; there are no reconciliations, with the concluding frame suggesting there’s more to come.