A Secret Love

 

A Secret Love is a documentary of two women, Pat Henschel and pro baseball player Terry Donahue, who fell in love in 1947. Over the course of 65-years we see their journey as a couple through their silent protest against the prejudice of a nation.

This story was so intriguing to me because you get to see women, now in their late 80s, having a very unique coming out journey. You learn why it took them so long to reveal their true selves to their families, the mixed reactions it caused and how they persevered through all of the ups and downs of their lives. I also appreciated the honesty and transparency of the ageing process and how Terry and Pat embraced it.

A Secret Love is a story of resilience in the face of bigotry. The amount of archival materials (photos, letters and videos) that Pat and Terry were able to share over their six decades together really helped to connect you to these women and their story. It was educating and also saddening to see how they had to hide their relationship for so long. Seeing a couple that have aged together through such difficult times and still love each other deeply was beautiful to see. If you are looking for a documentary that is heartfelt and also a bit of a tearjerker, this is the one for you.