Carmen - and the Reality of Femicide

Bizet's Carmen declares herself free, yet ends up trying to persuade a man she knows will kill her. This paradox is the starting point for a conversation that connects Georges Bizet's 1875 opera to a contemporary question: why do women end up killed by men who once loved them?

Ph.D. and criminal psychologist Charlotte Kappel and director Johanne Holten - who has staged Carmen for Den Jyske Opera - discuss the psychology of violent relationships: what happens inside them, why it can be nearly impossible to leave, and when love slides into control. Journalist Stine Bolther moderates the conversation.

Singers from Den Jyske Opera perform music from the production throughout the event. The event takes place in Store Sal and is part of Folkeuniversitetet's knowledge festival Hearts & Minds. Den Jyske Opera's touring production of Carmen runs from 23 October to 30 November 2026.