“Woman Unknown,” a drama about Denmark in the aftermath of the Nazi occupation directed by May el-Toukhy, won the prestigious Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
The Maggie Gyllenhaal -led jury announced the winners, which included a best actor prize for John Malkovich for his performance in the dark CIA comedy “Wild Horse Nine.”
Malkovich was not in attendance at the ceremony, but he sent a video message, explaining that he is shooting in Montreal.
“I am humbled to be chosen for this award which has been given to so many wonderful actors,” Malkovich said.
El-Toukhy, who was the only woman to have solely directed a film in the main competition this year, is the eighth woman to have won the festival’s top prize.
“To me personally, ‘Woman Unknown’ is about the female body as a battleground,” el-Toukhy said. “At the same time the film tells the tale of women who are unseen, invisible and voiceless.”
She thanked Gyllenhaal for using her voice to shine a light on unequal opportunities for women in moviemaking.
The film, which does not yet have distribution in North America, is centered on a young nanny and housemaid who is about to marry her wealthy employer in the immediate aftermath of the war. But she harbours a secret past intimate relationship with a German soldier that threatens to upend her reputation. The lead, Mathilde Arcel, won the festival’s best actress prize.
Arcel was visibly emotional as she accepted the award, which she placed on the floor as she spoke as she said it was very heavy.
“This is my first lead role in a movie and my first time at a film festival,” she said. “I’m extremely honoured.”
