I ran across this movie while going through Amazon Prime movies. I have never been a real fan of Dutch movies, but this is absolutely the most incredible movie I have ever seen -- my new no. 1 favorite. It had me sobbing at the end. So sensitively done. Shows how friendship -- enduring friendship -- can continue whether separated by place or even death. I'll never forget this one.

It is not easy to combine war environment and children's daily life and activities, particularly under any occupation, air raid or other events incompatible with "normal" childhood. On the other hand, these are the times when friendship, common interests, rivalry matter most, and all this - plus other important factors - have been here capably depicted. Child actors provide particularly good performances, but due to their character's age, one can not blame them for not understanding "global realities", e.g. holocaust; moreover, Nazi occupation in Holland was not so harsh as in Eastern Slavic areas, for example. Providing different undertones or scenes would have meant moving beyond children's film concept, towards aware/knowledgeable deeds, but the main characters were about 10 years old!All in all, a good combination of World War II history and life in an occupied township. Not all films should deal with "correct" attitudes towards Jews...

Very well done film. The child actors are impressive. I took my two teen daughters to a screening and they agreed it is one of the best movies they've seen. Most WWII movies center on soldiers or governments or strategy. This one shows the simplest situations of daily life for children and how huge consequences come of adult error, cowardice, and prejudice. Rather than simply demonize all supporters of Hitler's regime, the film does show with subtly how some were acting out of ignorance, others appeasement, yet others desperation--but it never excuses or dismisses the depth of consequence and responsibility, even for children.Touching, evocative, affecting but not pretentious. This is what art should be like today. Secrets of War is scheduled for a US release in December 2015. Watch for it.

I cannot vote because I need to see the film first ! This seems not possible here in Canada at present. Can you supply a viewing privilege or purchase of the CD ? I am currently living outside the Montreal area and foreign films are shown in Montreal movie houses frequently. But to wait could take ages and I would really prefer to see it as soon as is possible because, as you can see from my age, time flies ! The rest I need to fill because of the minimum requirement which obviously makes me a vociferous person ! So I have to resort to a filler of sorts to satisfy this preprogrammed requirement, which I am desperately trying to meet (not being a man of many words !)