IFA presents: Second Victims

Neurologist Alexandra is working double shifts in an understaffed department when she makes an error in judgment with disastrous consequences for an 18-year-old patient. While grief and recriminations buzz through the hospital and the inconsolable mother searches for someone to blame, Alexandra also becomes entangled in despair and self-doubt. 

This blood-curdling hospital thriller, filmed on location in Denmark at Herlev Hospital, explores the so-called “second victim syndrome,” in which healthcare providers themselves become victims of mental stress and the pressure of a flawed healthcare system after a medical error. With compelling acting, a strong female perspective, and intense realism, Second Victims highlights the emotional impact of guilt and the need for compassion, emphasizing the thin line between professionalism and human vulnerability. 

In this feature film debut by director Zinnini Elkington, Trine Dyrholm plays the role of mother Camilla. Last year, Dyrholm was the guest of honor at the Northern Film Festival, where she personally accepted the Award for Special Contribution to Northern Cinema. This year, she can also be seen in Jeanette Nordahl's Beginnings (2025) and Benedikt Erlingsson's latest series The Danish Woman (2025), which will be screened in its entirety at the NoFF—a first! 

Second Victims will be presented on Friday and Saturday in collaboration with the Assen International Film Festival | Women & Film, with an introduction by IFA Head Programmer Hil van der Wal. IFA is one of the oldest film festivals with an (intersectional) feminist tradition in Europe and will take place in Assen from March 5 to 8, 2026. Second Victims makes the emotional impact of the medical system palpable and shows how healthcare workers—often women—are caught between empathy and the reality of their work. The film therefore aligns with IFA's mission to bring forward stories that often remain invisible.