Not Out of Nowhere | Director's Talk

This confronting documentary explores the fate of women caught in the web of intimate terror. It's not only a tale of individual tragedies, but a critical warning: femicide is the bitter end of structural inequality, sexism, and invisible control. On International Women's Day, we present this film to break the silence. Director Floor Foole will be present for a follow-up discussion. 'Not Out of Nowhere' forces us to reevaluate what we as a society tolerate and what we wish to change. With empathy, a sharp eye, and determination, Floor Foole and Marleen Kuijsters depict the story of two women who did not survive gender-related violence. In the film, two survivors, Juul Engel and Silvana van Ginneken, share their experiences of losing loved ones to men who claimed, controlled, and gradually isolated them until tragedy was inevitable. This film underscores that femicide is not merely an isolated 'outburst,' but a pattern of intimidating behavior that often remains undetected for years. It reminds us that violence against women is not just a private issue—it is a symptom of deep-rooted power structures that women still have to fight against daily. Femicide does not come from nowhere; it is the ultimate, devastating result of patriarchal norms that we as a society must confront.