Yvonne Scholten

Yvonne Scholten (b. 1943) is a Dutch journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker whose work has focused on social justice, women’s history, and political resistance for more than five decades. As a foreign correspondent in Italy during the 1970s, she documented major social and political developments, experiences that culminated in her acclaimed documentary Donna: Women in Revolt (1980). Through rare archival footage and interviews, the film traces eighty years of the Italian women’s movement and the struggle against oppression. Following its restoration by the Eye Filmmuseum and the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision in 2023, the film has been screened at festivals and cinemas across Europe.

Alongside her filmmaking, Scholten built a distinguished career in radio and television journalism, working for Dutch broadcasters including VARA, NPS, and VPRO. In 2006, she received the prestigious De Tegel Award for her investigative radio documentary Genoa – The Forgotten Trial, examining police violence during the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa.

As an author, Scholten has devoted extensive research to the Spanish Civil War, publishing acclaimed books on Dutch volunteers who fought against fascism, including Fanny Schoonheyt, Bart van der Schelling, and Een Hollandse jongen aan de Ebro. Across journalism, film, and literature, her work preserves overlooked histories and amplifies the voices of those who challenged injustice.