Danish director May El-Toukhy receives the Golden Lion for Best Film for "Kvinde Ukendt" (Woman unknown) during the closing ceremony of the 63rd Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido on September 12, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AFP
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.Ms. El-Toukhy was the only woman directing a feature film in the main, 21-strong movie 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 Two, “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.John Malkovich named best actorSouth Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong took the runner-up Silver Lion award for “Promised 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.
