The Secrets of Barslet (2012)

Directed by: Boris Paval Conen | 350 minutes | drama | Actors: Dragan Bakema, Teun Luijkx, Barbara Pouwels, Raymond Thiry, Soesja Toehpah, Mohammed Azaay, Sanneke Bos, Sallie Harmsen, Martijn Lakemeier, Jessica Zeylmaker, Barbara Pouwels, Connor Smith, Jim van der Panne, Mohammed Azaay, Romijn Conen, Chris Dekkers, Kaltoum el Fan, Jaap ten Holt, Richelle Lantinga, Ezra Mol, Loek Peters, Chiara Tissen, Robert Ruigrok van der Werve

In recent years, Cultural Netherlands has been making considerable progress with quality series and films, which are viewed and appreciated better than ever. The ‘Barslet’s Secrets’ series is another such product to be proud of. A series with beautiful, universal themes, high production values ​​and a timeless, magically realistic atmosphere. The series has already been compared to ‘Twin Peaks’ and this is understandable. In either case, an out-of-town cop is confronted with all sorts of mysteries in a small village community, where a strange, oppressive atmosphere prevails and everyone seems to have something to hide. But where in ‘Twin Peaks’ the viewer has to discover the true facts of a crime through witness accounts and later actions of characters, in ‘The Secrets of Barslet’ the truth is revealed by experiencing the same essential moments over and over again; seven times, each time from the perspective of a different character. This concept is not just a fun gimmick: it really adds something.

Initially, from the agent’s point of view, which is dealt with first, it seems to be mostly about finding the person(s) responsible for some fires in Barslet. There seems to be a plot going on, likely taking advantage of the agent’s unfamiliarity with the culture and people of Barslet. The villagers also seem to know more about his past than the other way around. Do they want to frame him? However, the story constantly turns out to be slightly different than it seems, and the seven separate stories all have their own interesting atmosphere and angle. The palette of emotions and problems is also increasing. For example, in each version of the story, the fires continue to recur as central benchmarks, but they become more and more involved, and the human problems and emotions in particular emerge as the main points of attention.

Underlying the structure of the series is a clear message: there are many sides and “truths” to a story, and you shouldn’t be too quick to judge. Often a character who is considered a villain in one of the stories, turns out to be very human in the next story and sometimes even completely guiltless, with his own understandable wishes, frustrations and problems. Various themes, traumas and social dilemmas are discussed in the film. Discrimination and acceptance of immigrants, surrogacy, guilt and penance, faith, and more. These subjects are often discussed from different angles and it is largely up to the viewer to judge them.

The series is stylishly filmed, the setting is perfectly chosen – the picturesque Frisian village of Oosterlittens served as the model for Barslet – and the atmosphere is timeless: an attractive, believable mix of the sixties and the present. The name “Barslet” is deliberately ambiguous, because the village with this name also has a woman who meets this qualification, but she too cannot be captured with a term. She is full of life, enjoys male attention, but she is also insecure and sometimes the victim. And even though she manages to seduce several men, she still seems likeable and it’s hard to blame her much in the end.

The acting is usually excellent, with the women in particular standing out. Sanneke Bos is clearly having a hard time as kindergarten teacher Roelie and mother-to-be of a child whose own sister is a surrogate mother, and plays the nuances of her obsession and insecurities beautifully. And Sallie Harmsen remains, after her great role in ‘Real life’, a true revelation.

‘The Secrets of Barslet’ has now been released on DVD, but the individual episodes are best viewed at some intervals. It’s interesting to see the same thing from a different perspective, but viewed in quick succession, it can seem a bit monotonous. Again those same fires, again that one terrible death, again that manhunt that breaks out towards the end of the episode(s). Also, some actions of characters are a bit improbable and not every character goes through an equally satisfying development. But overall, ‘The Secrets of Barslet’ is an ambitious, highly acted, interesting and very successful drama series.