Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy’s post-war drama Woman Unknown has won the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, while its star Mathilde Arcel was named best actress in a rare double victory.
El-Toukhy was the only woman to solely direct a feature film in the festival’s 21-film main competition. The gender imbalance drew criticism during the festival and renewed debate over the barriers faced by women in the film industry.
Set in the aftermath of World War Two, Woman Unknown follows a housemaid, played by Arcel, whose past relationship with a German soldier threatens her future.
The film is set in a newly liberated Denmark, where women accused of having relationships with German occupying forces were often subjected to vigilante justice.
Speaking after receiving the Golden Lion, El-Toukhy said the film explored the female body as a battleground and a matter of public concern, while telling the stories of women who remain unseen and voiceless.
John Malkovich wins best actor
South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong won the Silver Lion, the festival’s second-highest prize, for Possible Love.
Russian-born filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky was named best director for DAU, an ambitious project filmed largely in Ukraine before the ongoing war. Khrzhanovsky, who has renounced his Russian citizenship and is a vocal critic of Moscow, dedicated the award to Ukraine.
John Malkovich won the best actor award for his performance as an ageing and unconventional CIA agent in Martin McDonagh’s comedy Wild Horse Nine.
Malkovich accepted the award through a video link from Canada, where he is working on another project.
The Venice Film Festival traditionally marks the beginning of the major awards season and often produces films that later become strong Oscar contenders.
However, several major studio-backed productions were absent from this year’s line-up as Hollywood studios reassess film marketing strategies and seek to reduce costs.
Gaza remains a focus
The festival also featured several films addressing global political and social upheaval, including NAZA, a documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
The documentary won the Special Jury Prize and is based on interviews with 24 Israeli intelligence officers and soldiers whose identities have been kept anonymous.
The filmmakers accuse the Israeli military of routinely approving large-scale civilian deaths in Gaza. Israel has rejected the allegations.
The film received a 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere on Thursday, reportedly setting a new record at the festival. It followed the strong reception last year for The Voice of Hind Rajab, which focuses on the killing of a Palestinian girl during the Gaza war.
Abraham said the Israeli intelligence personnel interviewed for the documentary described mass killing as systematic rather than accidental.
Stephane Brize, Coralie Amedeo and Olivier Gorce won the screenplay award for the French workplace drama A Good Little Soldier, while Malou Khebizi received the award for best emerging young actor for A Place to Heal.
Festival director Alberto Barbera has defended the male-dominated competition line-up, saying films were selected on artistic merit rather than gender quotas. He has also called for greater efforts to help women enter and advance in the film industry.
El-Toukhy said female filmmakers continued to face greater difficulties in securing financing, which could affect production budgets, casting opportunities and access to major international festivals.
The festival jury president, US actor and director Maggie Gyllenhaal, also raised concerns about the issue but rejected suggestions that Woman Unknown won the Golden Lion because of its female director.
She said the award recognised a film she considered exceptionally well made.
