The Venice Film Festival has awarded the Golden Lion to “Woman Unknown,” directed by May el-Toukhy. The documentary “NAZA,” which focuses on the situation in Gaza, received the jury prize.
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The Egyptian-Danish director’s film is set in the period immediately after Denmark’s liberation from Nazi occupation. At the center of the story is Marie, a young servant played by Mathilde Arcel, who is preparing to marry her widowed employer. However, she fears that he may learn about a shameful secret from her past.
During the war years, Marie had an intimate relationship with a German soldier. The possibility that this past could become public is one of the film’s central conflicts.
A critic from “The Guardian” described “Woman Unknown” as an “elegantly made” film, comparing it with Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, “Rebecca.”
Mathilde Arcel also won the “Volpi Cup” for Best Actress. The decision surprised some critics, as the Venice Film Festival usually does not award the same film more than one major prize.
Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal explained after the ceremony that an exception had been made in this case because the vote in favor of the Danish actress had been unanimous.
“She left us speechless,” Gyllenhaal said, praising Arcel’s performance.
May el-Toukhy delivered an emotional speech while accepting the award and thanked Gyllenhaal for addressing the issue of the underrepresentation of women directors in the film industry at the festival’s opening.
“Woman Unknown” was the only film in competition made entirely under the direction of a woman.
“This film has been extraordinarily difficult to make financially, logistically and emotionally,” El-Toukhy said.
The director added: “What kept me going was the urgent need to shed light on the unknown women in our shared history, to make them known. And especially tonight, I feel as though I succeeded in doing exactly that.”
The Grand Jury Prize, the second most important award after the Golden Lion, went to South Korean director Lee Chang-dong for the film “Possible Love.”
The story follows a married and unhappy couple who strike up a friendship with a documentary filmmaker and her wealthy husband. Critics have widely praised the film, particularly for the way it explores relationships, exploitation and friendship.
