[1] Cathy Jones plays Frieda Vokey, a graduate student in history working to complete her thesis on confederation in 1949.
She returns home to Newfoundland to investigate the theory that the province's 1949 entry into Canada was the result of a conspiracy.
Frieda Vokey (Cathy Jones) is a graduate student at McGill University in Montreal completing her doctoral thesis on Newfoundland's 1949 entry into confederation.
Frieda is welcomed home by her mother, Oona (Mary Walsh)and her brother Chris (Rick Mercer), but subsequently has a heated discussion with her father, Lester (Michael Wade), now a private advisor to Premier Valentine Aylward (Andy Jones).
Frieda wants to interview former Premier Joey Smallwood (Kevin Noble) before his impending death, but Lester argues strenuously against it.
Frieda meets local Newfoundland journalist, Daniel Maddox (Ron Hynes), to discuss her thesis.
Maddox falls asleep and Frieda sneaks into his office, where she find records of cheques sent by the British Government which were declined.
She also find letters to Maddox from the British Archives, declining his request for more information Newfoundland’s joining of confederation.
Frieda continues her investigation, after the interview, meeting with Michael, believing he has the information she is looking for regarding his father and the confederation conspiracy.
While attending a benefit banquet, Chris overhears Michael tell Frieda that two British gentlemen will be taking his father's papers to London the next day.
Frieda leaves the benefit dance, goes to the assembly building and quickly locates the secret files she was hoping to find.
She also finds the stubs of cheques issued to her father, Lester, in 1949 - apparently to keep him silent about the true outcome of the second referendum.
Frieda hears the footsteps and quickly packs up some papers to take with her while leaving the rest, as the lights on the floor come on.
But he admits to conspiring in the deception over the result of the vote, because the people needed relief and he believed joining Canada was the best way to achieve economic stability for the former Dominion.
The papers are announcing the death of Joey Smallwood, while the Vokey family are preparing to celebrate the completion of Frieda's thesis, A Secret Nation.
Joey Smallwood and Louis St. Laurent appear uncredited in archival footage of the signing of the Confederation Agreement in 1949.
The film featured many local artists such as Ron Hynes, Thomas Trio and the Red Albino and Jeff Johnston.
Michael Jones was invited with his film, Secret Nation, to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.