The Secret Cinema


The Secret Cinema is a short black-and-white film produced, written, and directed by Paul Bartel, and released in 1966, gaining somewhat wider distribution in 1968. The film is of a woman who is manipulated by people around her so a director can film her to screen the results in a theater. The film is described as voyeuristic or surveillance film, though obviously staged.

Plot summary

Jane is a secretary whose daily activities are being secretly filmed, with the knowledge and assistance of those who are closest to her. She's sexually harassed by her corpulent boss, Mr. Troppogrosso, humiliated by her boyfriend, given the gaslight treatment by the people around her, etc. The film is then shown in theaters. She is starting to suspect that something isn't quite right.