Secret Nation

Secret Nation is a 1992 political thriller written by Edward Riche, directed by Mike Jones and starring Cathy Jones.

The film tells the story of Frieda Vokey, a graduate history student working to complete her history thesis on confederation. She returns to her home in Newfoundland to investigate evidence that Newfoundland’s 1949 entry into Canada was a conspiracy. Following the death of a politician, whose papers contain evidence, she begins to believe that the referendum results were faked, with British spies helping the cause.

This film was produced for nearly $2 million, with $1.8 million provided by First Choice and CBC. The film was invited to New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, and screened as part of the This Film is From Canada Series.

The film opens with the death of the elderly and wealthy Leo Cryptus (Denys Ferry), the Chief Returning Officer for the 1948 confederation referenda. The film then shifts to Montreal, introducing Frieda Vokey, a graduate student of McGill University completing her history thesis on confederation titled “the decline of the sovereign Newfoundland state”. After academic advisors in Montreal tell Frieda that her thesis is a “joke” she then returns to her hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Frieda is greeted by her mother, Oona (Mary Walsh), with whom she strikes up a womanly conversation. Upon arrival to her home, Frieda is welcomed by her brother Chris (Rick Mercer) and Frieda begins a heated discussion with her father, Lester, a private advisor to Premier Valentine Aylward (Andy Jones) about seeing Joey Smallwood (Kevin Noble) before his death.

While paying her respects for the Cryptus family, Frieda is introduced to Michael Cryptus (Géza Kovács), son of Leo Cryptus. Frieda is then warned by Dr. Furey (Brian Hennessey) that Newfoundland is not the best place to study Newfoundland history because the people here are still very involved with Newfoundland history.