Kuwait Netflix drama ‘Secrets We Keep’ highlights risks for migrant workers: Details here
-
Neeta Mishra
- . June 28, 2025
- . Update: June 28, 2025 3:06 pm
‘Secrets We Keep’ on Netflix takes the Shrouded Industry of Abuse and the stories of Filipino Au-Pairs, and the world of Au-Pairs in Denmark
The new Netflix Danish suspense series, Secrets We Keep (Reservatet), explores the stark realities faced by Filipino pairs employed in rich households in Copenhagen, exposing the systemic racism, class privilege, and exploitation following from the domestic migrant work relationship, explored through the story surrounding Ruby Tan’s disappearance. The six-episode series shifts fluidly between English, Danish, and Tagalog, while developing a story that reveals how the elite employers and even well-meaning white women produce a culture that constructs Filipino migrant workers as disposable and sexualized beings. The drama depicts the high rates of sexual violence against domestic workers in Scandinavia, where the abuse of migrant domestic workers forced the Philippines to limit sending workers to the region until 2019.
Furthermore, the series touches on the “Nordic Paradox” – how Scandinavian countries (including Denmark) rank amongst the highest in gender equality, but have notable violence against women, especially against migrant domestic workers. The flow of economic globalization and care gaps in wealthy countries has compelled migrant domestic work options for many Filipino women, leading them to low-wage paid work and a vulnerable lifestyle that, for many, requires separation from their families. The character Cecilie fails to realize her contribution to the exploitation inherent in domestic work; this reflects a deeper, collective refusal to accept, understand, and act on the realities shaped by actors in domestic work relationships. Secrets We Keep provides critical social commentary on the exploitation of migrant domestic workers, altruism vs. exploitation, systemic racism, and gendered disparities in power and potential violations as people, making it a must-see for viewers interested in social justice and migrant rights.
Read Also:
Kuwait’s Media Achievements Honored with Awards at Arab Festival
