June 17, 2020
A Secret Love: Lesbian Couple in Documentary Covers Amazing Decades
Brian Bromberger READ TIME: 1 MIN.
It is a jarring disquieting scene. A love poem has been recited and then we hear that the names of the author and the recipient have been torn from the bottom of the pages containing them. This precaution occurred because it involved two women in the 1940s and had authorities discovered the clandestine letters, they could have been used as evidence to arrest them, as homosexuality was illegal.
This unsettling revelation is one of the reasons why the documentary A Secret Love, about a 72-year love affair between Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, is so gripping and heartfelt. Produced by Ryan Murphy, its SXSW Festival launch canceled due to the pandemic, it has just premiered on Netflix.
Directed by Terry's grand-nephew Chris Bolan in his debut, while seemingly a family affair, A Secret Love doesn't shy from tense squabbles and disturbing history, showcasing the steadfast devotion and fidelity of these two women's relationship, paralleling the entire arc of LGBTQ history from outcasts, criminals and sinners to marriage equality.
