Our secret society

Last time we checked in with politics, say, about eight years ago, we were still living in a largely open society with our elected officials beholden to the rule of law and operating within the system of checks and balances. That's still all good, right? No? With an increase in sketchy behavior by our government, from warrantless wiretaps to secret prisons and extraordinary rendition techniques, there's plenty of evidence that a pervasive culture of secrecy may have taken over. Then again, maybe such secrecy is necessary to keep us safe from the boogeyman or the barbarians at the gate or whatever. From Pearl Harbor to Iraq, the documentary "Secrecy," by Harvard's Robb Moss and Peter Galiso, examines all angles of the issue. Join the directors for a post-screening Q&A tonight. 7:30 p.m. $9.50. Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge. 617-876-6837. www.brattlefilm.org [L. O.]