She steers the Night

In the documentary ‘Zij stuurt de Nacht’ we follow two female taxi drivers over the course of a single night: Jeanet Jager, one of the few women working as a driver on Rotterdam’s Coolsingel, and Ellen van den Brink, who drives night shifts in Amsterdam.

In cities where the night never stands still, they navigate a world dominated by men. Throughout their shifts, all kinds of passengers climb into their taxis: lost tourists, intoxicated partypeople, and young women trying to get home safely. While they work to protect others, they are also confronted with the risks that come with working at night.

Because in the confined space of a taxi, the atmosphere can change in an instant. Jeanet was severely assaulted in the past, and Ellen stays in constant contact with her husband during her shifts as an extra safety measure.

How can they help keep other women safe at night without putting themselves in danger?

Credits

Director: Vos Vissers, Yula Bello
Writer: Vos Vissers, Yula Bello
Producer: Vos Vissers, Yula Bello

Specifications

Project Title (Original Language): Zij stuurt de Nacht
Project Type: Documentary
Runtime: 22 minutes 47 seconds
Completion Date: June 11, 2026
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Country of Filming: Netherlands
Language: Dutch
Shooting Format: ProRes
Aspect Ratio: 3840 × 2160
Film Color: Color
First-time Filmmaker: Yes
Student Project: Yes - Hogeschool Utrecht
Digital Cinema Package: Available

Cover Letter

We made this movie out of a personal interest. One of the makers of the film has two parents who were both taxi drivers and met each other in this profession. One year ago something terrible happend in The Netherlands. A girl called Lisa was murdered while driving her bike home after a night out in Amsterdam. This story woke up a big conversation in our country about female safety. Thats why we wanted to make this film. To focus on female safety and how other women can help each other out. And especially these two women in our movie. Of all the taxi drivers in our country only 2% of them are female. That’s a very low number. We hope to show this movie to people who already acknowledge the problem but also to people that maybe don’t. And by watching this film see what is really going on.

Documentary film ‘She Steers the Night’ about female taxi drivers, source:
https://www.taxipro.nl/straattaxi/2026/08/18/documentairefilm-zij-stuurt-de-nacht-over-vrouwelijke-chauffeurs-wordt-vertoond-op-taxi-expo-2026-primeur-voor-de-branche/

Published on 18 August 2026, by Peter Runhaar

Documentary makers Yula Bello and Vos Vissers have made the film ‘She Drives the Night’, in which they follow two female taxi drivers who work at night in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. With this film, the makers aim to draw attention to women’s safety at night and the role that female drivers play in this. We will be screening the film at TaxiExpo on 15 October – a first for the industry! Yula and Vos, along with one of the drivers featured in the film, will be in attendance to discuss the subject and share their experiences.

In their film ‘Zij stuurt de Nacht’, documentary filmmakers Yula Bello and Vos Vissers follow two female taxi drivers who work night shifts in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Through the film, the filmmakers aim to raise awareness of women’s safety at night and the role that female drivers play in this.

The documentary centres on Jeanet Jager and Ellen van den Brink. Female taxi drivers are very much in the minority in the industry, which consists of 98 per cent men. Jeanet is the only female driver on Coolsingel in Rotterdam, whilst Ellen works night shifts in Amsterdam. During their shifts, they encounter a wide variety of passengers: from lost tourists and drunken revellers to young women who want to get home safely. Drawing on their own experiences of feeling unsafe, they often take on a protective role for female passengers.
More relevant than ever

According to Yula and Vos, women’s safety is more relevant than ever: “Stories of femicide, sexual assault and violence against women mean that many women feel unsafe on the streets at night. At the same time, people are increasingly looking for solutions. For example, the taxi service Bolt recently announced a feature allowing female passengers to choose a female driver.”

With ‘She Drives the Night’, the filmmakers aim to show how a small group of female taxi drivers are trying to make a difference for women who rely on night-time transport. The documentary therefore focuses not only on the work of Ellen and Jeanet, but also on the wider discussion about women’s safety in public life and during the night-time hours.