for which there is no actual evidence." Her 2001 film De vriendschap, with a set of elderly main characters, focused on male friendship and female sexuality, but the film was a critical and commercial failure, which strongly affected her. She considered leaving the industry altogether, but returned in 2006 with a documentary on Mary; years before she had gotten fascinated with Mary, who in her estimation seemed unhappy in many depictions of the annunciation. She began collecting reproductions of paintings, many of which are shown in the 2006 documentary Ave Maria; Mary, she says, was an independent and educated woman who is politically important as well. In 2018, she published her first book, Scenes uit mijn eigen draaiboek (Scenes from my personal screenplay) which was awarded with the Louis Hartlooper Prize for the best film publication. Feminism {{Quote box |quote = That's what I see all around me: women, after a setback, always try to pick up the pieces again. They have an eternal creativity. If war comes, they tuck their child under their arm and walk to the next refuge. They keep on going. Women have unbelievable strength and stubbornness and joy of life. If they ever quit doing what they do, the place would be a mess. Men wage war and cheer and hold meetings. All those suits, if you open up the newspaper, nothing but men in suits.|width = 50% |align = right |source = Nouchka van Brakel, 1995 interview with Vrij Nederland.}} Van Brakel's first four major movies (from Het Debuut to Een maand later) all centered on women and their clashes with the outside world. She is listed among a number of European women filmmakers who benefited from the feminist wave of the 1960s and 1970s and entered a previously male-dominated domain, including Mai Zetterling and Chantal Akerman; Een vrouw als Eva (1979) is mentioned as one of the female-directed movies that offer "very affirmative images of lesbianism". A recurring theme in her films is that of "women who break out of society's conventions and want something 'controversial'". Her documentary work includes "various topics of feminist interest, such as children's education and the training of midwives", a study of the Virgin Mary, and the physical and social effects of aging. FilmographyAve Maria. Van Dienstmaagd des Heren tot Koningin van de Hemel (documentary, 2006, co-produced with the KRO) De vriendschap (2001) Aletta Jacobs: Het Hoogste Streven