‘Woman Unknown’ wins Gold Lion at Venice Film Festival
Por Reuters — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Venice Film Festival World Europe ‘Woman Unknown’ wins Gold Lion at Venice Film Festival
Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy was the only woman directing a feature film in the main 21-strong film line-up
3 -MIN READ 3 -MIN Listen
Reuters Published: 4:05am, 13 Sep 2026 Updated: 4:14am, 13 Sep 2026
Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy’s post-war drama Woman Unknown won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, with its star Mathilde Arcel also taking best actress honours in a rare double victory.
El-Toukhy was the only woman directing a feature film in the main, 21-strong film line-up, a disparity that drew criticism during the festival and prompted renewed scrutiny of the barriers facing women in cinema.
Set in the aftermath of World War II, Woman Unknown follows a housemaid played by Arcel whose past relationship with a German soldier threatens to destroy her future.
The film unfolds against the backdrop of a newly liberated Denmark, where women accused of fraternising with occupying German forces were often subjected to vigilante justice.
“To me personally, Woman Unknown is about the female body as a battleground and a public matter. And at the same time, the film tells the tale of women who are invisible, unseen, and voiceless,” el-Toukhy said in her acceptance speech.
South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong took the runner-up Silver Lion award for Possible Love, while Russian-born filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky won best director for DAU, a hugely ambitious project shot largely in Ukraine before the ongoing war that has attracted intense scrutiny and controversy.
Advertisement Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
