Secrets of War

Netherlands, 1943. Best friends Tuur and Lambert spend their time dreaming up adventures and discovering secret passages in the caves and forests that surround their close-knit village. Homemade wooden pistols serve as props in their playful war games, as they make light of the conflict that is building all around them. When new girl Maartje enters their social circle, the boys’ friendship faces a challenge typical of adolescence — and Lambert begins to feel more and more like the third wheel. But as the ramifications of German occupation encroach upon the children’s daily lives and the secrets of Maartje’s past come to light, Lambert’s jealousy has consequences more devastating than he can imagine. Secrets of War, with its lush backdrops and strong emotional performances from three young leads, expertly balances the universality of shifting young friendships with the moral complexity of war.