VENICE, Italy (AP) — “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 only 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.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 by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP via Getty Images)STEFANO RELLANDINI via Getty ImagesThe film 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 harbors 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 accepting the award, which she said was very heavy and decided to place on the floor while she spoke.“This is my first lead role in a movie and my first time at a film festival,” she said. “I’m extremely honored.”South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong’s poetic portrait of class and labor, “Possible Love,” won the Silver Lion grand jury prize. “Possible Love” is Lee’s first film in eight years, following his acclaimed “Burning.”Director Yuval Abraham and Director Rachel Szor receive the Special Jury Prize for "Naza" during the closing ceremony of the 63rd Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido on September 12, 2026. (Photo by Stefano Rellandini / AFP via Getty Images)STEFANO RELLANDINI via Getty Images“NAZA,” a harrowing documentary about military strategies employed in the war in Gaza from Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, was awarded a special jury prize.“It is really, really especially important to us that Israelis watch this film,” Abraham said.The was added to the main competition late — at the request of the filmmakers — and debuted late in the schedule as well, but its impact was felt as it received a record-breaking standing ovation, lasting some 25 minutes, after its premiere.Shot on the rooftops of Tel Aviv at night in extreme secrecy over three years, “NAZA” features testimony from 24 Israeli military insiders including intelligence officers and soldiers give who insight into the war in Gaza and what they say is the systemic killing of Palestinian civilians.The jury gave the Silver Lion for directing to Ilya Krzhanovsky for his film “Dau,” a project about the Soviet physicists who built the atomic bomb that has taken over 20 years to make. Krzhanovsky, who renounced his Russian citizenship in protest of the war in Ukraine, dedicated the prize to Ukrainians, including his mother who was born there.French director Stéphane Brizé’s won the screenplay prize for his corporate drama “A Good Little Soldier.” Malou Khebizi was given the Marcello Mastroianni award for emerging actor for her role in Cédric Kahn’s “A Place to Heal,” which is set in an adolescent psychiatric ward in a public hospital.Aside from Malkovich’s win, the starrier, Hollywood films playing in competition were shut out of the awards, including “Primetime,” “Bunker” and “Ink.”RelatedentertainmentFilmentertainment newsvenice film festival