Documentary about sexual violence in Curaçao

Over the next three months, a documentary will be made on Curaçao about the experiences of people who have suffered sexual abuse and violence. The creators are urgently looking for people who want to tell their story on camera.

Documentary filmmaker Julia Hollander will follow Chanice Janssens over the next three months as she speaks with victims of sexual abuse and violence on Curaçao.

Janssens knows what it's like to experience sexual abuse and violence. "I kept my own abuse a secret from my family for fourteen years. I informed my father last. I was lucky that my family believed me immediately. They looked at what I needed, but unfortunately, that's not always the case."

Meeting in Mexico
In the Netherlands, she runs a holistic practice (Connecting Mind Body Soul) that helps fellow sufferers after sexual abuse and violence, and with problems related to sexuality.

During a work visit in Mexico, she met the documentary maker. "Julia Hollander was making a documentary about women's rights in Mexico because there is a lot of violence against women there," Janssens says. In 2019, Mexico City even declared a state of emergency due to violence against women.

When Janssens further recounted her story and the work she now does, Hollander subsequently asked her to be part of a documentary.

For the documentary, Janssens chose to film her own story in Curaçao because she has a Curaçaoan background. Her father still lives on the island.

'The fear of not being believed'
For this project, she is looking for men and women who want to share their story on camera, either recognizably or unrecognizably. But on Curaçao, talking about this is still a big taboo, and there is a culture of shame, she notes.

"A lot is shared off-camera, but on the island, everyone knows each other, so it's less anonymous than, for example, in the Netherlands."

The small size of the island plays a role in this. "If I tell a family member, or an institution, there's a good chance the perpetrator is also known. That makes it difficult."

"The fear of not being believed, loss of face, and potential consequences are often reasons not to tell," she thinks. "Also for the family, because: what did the family do or not do about it?"

She feels called to find people who, like her, want to make a difference. "I want to make the consequences of sexual abuse discussable, because I notice that people often find recognition in my story and are therefore more open to help."

'People don't realize'
Janssens notes that when she started talking openly about her past, people didn't expect that she herself had experienced this. "So people don't realize that it can happen to anyone!" Janssens says. "They don't realize that there are many different situations in which it can happen. Within the family, in a relationship, or in the workplace."

"By highlighting all those aspects, I hope that someone recognizes themselves in this and also takes the step to do something about it. Because you don't have to live with it; but it does have a very big influence on your life."

Janssens is working with various foundations for her documentary. "I notice that the people who live on the island are very committed to this topic. A lot is already being done in terms of prevention and support. They are very enthusiastic that we want to make this discussable."