'Secrets We Keep' puts OFW experience at center of Nordic drama

A chilling new Nordic noir hits close to home for many Filipinos. Secrets We Keep, now streaming on Netflix, is a Danish psychological drama that unravels a high-society mystery through the eyes of a Filipino au pair caught in the middle of it all.

Set in an upscale Copenhagen suburb, the series follows Cecilie (Marie Bach Hansen), a wealthy executive, whose life begins to unravel after Ruby, the au pair employed by her neighbors — and a close friend of her own au pair, Angel — mysteriously disappears. As Cecilie’s search for the truth intensifies, she begins to question everything — and everyone — around her, including those closest to her.

Secrets We Keep places Filipino domestic workers at the heart of its narrative. Excel Busano plays Angel, Cecilie’s trusted au pair, while Donna Levkovski portrays the missing Ruby. Both characters reflect a growing reality in Denmark, where many au pairs — the majority of whom are Filipinas — live and work in the homes of the country’s most affluent families.

The series creators draw inspiration from this dynamic, exposing the often-unspoken tensions between privilege and servitude.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the power structures within a family,” series creator Topsøe told Netflix's Tudum. “Few people associate Denmark with such ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ homes. Denmark is often portrayed as a very egalitarian society, and I’ve never seen homes like these portrayed on TV. Perhaps it’s a reality we don’t want to acknowledge the existence of …. Au pairs are ‘part of the family,’ while being employed, and parents are well-meaning, while absent. It’s these cold, hard facts — hidden beneath a soft layer of niceness — that intrigues me.” Where does Secrets We Keep take place?

Directed by Borgen’s Per Fly and written by a team that includes Darkness: Those Who Kill’s Ina Bruhn, Secrets We Keep delivers both gripping suspense and a sharp look at the quiet inequalities hiding in plain sight — especially for overseas Filipino workers.

Secrets We Keep is now streaming.