Aletta Jacobs, Het Hoogste Streven

1995 • Directed by

Nouchka van Brakel

Drama, History

Feature film about the life of Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929). Aletta Jacobs knows from an early age that she wants to become a doctor. She asks Thorbecke to allow her to attend university and, after completing her studies, becomes the first female doctor in Amsterdam. Here, she focuses in particular on sexual problems in women and campaigns for universal suffrage. Director Nouchka van Brakel appears in the film as an interviewer who questions contemporaries about the life and work of Dr. Jacobs. The interviews give an impression of the flood of negative reactions that the feminist provoked. However, when Aletta looks back on her life at the end of the film, many photos and letters show how much she was ultimately appreciated.