It doesn’t take much to make us feel a bit weepy right now, so we’re not sure we’re prepared for the emotional
tsunami of Netflix’s new documentary A Secret Love.
The streaming service’s latest factual offering tells the powerful and heartwarming 65-year love story of Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, a couple who are now settling into a retirement home.
The two
Women began their relationship in secret after meeting in 1947 – a time when the world was less accepting of LGBTQ people – and the documentary highlights the evolution of queer rights over the ensuing years.At this time, Terry played
baseball professionally as a catcher in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which many may remember was the subject of the 1992 film A League Of Their Own, starring
Madonna and Geena Davis.
The
trailer for A Secret Love debuted on
Social Media on Wednesday evening, and had many people feeling emotional as Terry and Pat discussed how they were forced to conduct their relationship covertly. Their love story spans more than 60 years. So did their secret — until now. A Secret Love premieres April 29 pic.twitter.com/UwYy2pHufF—
Netflix (@netflix) April 22, 2020“We always wore dresses, makeup,” Terry explained in the two-minute clip. “The whole thing. Anybody who was not gay, they simply didn’t know.”
Having grown up in a conservative family, Pat believed she’d be forced to spend her adult years “living a lie.”
“I loved my mother, but she would’ve disowned me,” she added. there’s a whole forest in my eye pic.twitter.com/rZ9QhcY9GR— day (@daylr) April 22, 2020"You kind of broke the rules your whole life.""Yes, I have. That's why I'm happy."it is 12:30AM and i am sobbing— from_m (@michellemmanese) April 22, 2020well, there goes the twenty minutes a day that I'm not already crying.— Mike Morrison 🏳️🌈 (@mikesbloggity) April 22, 2020oh man I am HURTING over “she means everything to me” pic.twitter.com/fP8jpbDwdm— megan 🧚🏻♀️ (@manbunkoo) April 22, 2020A Secret Love story was produced by Ryan Murphy, who has been prolific in telling the stories of LGBTQ people in a number of dramas, including Pose, The Politician and The Assassination Of Gianni Versace.
The documentary is also directed by Terry and Pat’s great-nephew, Chris Bolan, who hopes that viewers will come away from it “having seen parts of their family, their loved ones, their lives reflected” in some capacity.
A Secret Love begins streaming on Netflix from Wednesday 29 April. READ MORE: Pose Is The Life-Affirming Boxset That's Nothing Short Of 'Legendary' 21 Films And TV Shows To Stream On Netflix If You Need Some Escapism In Your Life