By Gonzalo Sánchez and Marta Garde
Venice (EFE).- Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy pulled off a surprise victory on Saturday, winning the Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival for ‘Woman Unknown’. The historical drama makes her only the eighth woman to claim the top prize in the festival’s long history.
«To me personally, Woman Unknown is about the female body as a battleground and a public matter. And at the same time, the film tells the tale of women who are invisible, unseen, and voiceless,» an emotional El-Toukhy said upon accepting the award.
Her feature film emerged as the night’s biggest winner. In addition to the Golden Lion, lead actress Mathilde Arcel, also from Denmark, took home the Volpi Cup for Best Actress.
A tense drama centered on women in Venice
‘Woman Unknown’ drew widespread acclaim at its premiere for its gripping portrayal of a woman in post-war Denmark making desperate attempts to hide her past and avoid widespread accusations of collaborating with the Nazis.
The director was inspired after discovering photographs of women being publicly shaved naked before a crowd. All were suspected of Nazi ties, and Arcel delivers a haunting performance in the role of one of these women.
The decision by the Venice jury, chaired this year by Maggie Gyllenhaal, makes El-Toukhy the eighth woman to win the Golden Lion, following American director Laura Poitras, who won in 2022 with ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’.
‘Naza’ receives a Special Jury Prize
Among the other awards, one of the biggest surprises was the documentary ‘Naza,’ in which israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor examine Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, taking home the Special Jury Prize, despite critical buzz slating it as a top contender for the main prize.
The announcement drew warm applause from the audience in Venice’s Palazzo del Cinema for the young filmmakers, who were part of the team behind the Oscar-winning ‘No Other Land’ (2024).
During the ceremony, Abraham noted that «the denial of the crime is what helps it persist,» praising Palestinian journalists for documenting the devastation in Gaza.
«I want to be very clear. This truth has been documented and is known from the very first day thanks to Palestinian journalists. More than 200 of them were killed by Israel in Gaza. Their voices were silenced and denied,» he stated.
Lee Chang-dong wins Silver Lion
Runner-up honors went to South Korea’s Lee Chang-dong, who earned the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize for ‘Possible Love’, a sharp exploration of class differences marking the director’s return to cinema eight years after ‘Burning’ (2018).
The Volpi Cup for Best Actor went to American actor John Malkovich for his celebrated performance as a dying CIA officer in pre-coup Chile in Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine’.
French director Stéphane Brizé won Best Screenplay for ‘Un bon petit soldat’, starring Alba Rohrwacher, which explores ethical dilemmas surrounding workplace abuse.
Meanwhile, the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor went to Malou Khebizi for her role in French director Cédric Kahn’s ’15/18′, centered on a youth mental health center.
The festival confronting historical reality
This year’s festival was heavily influenced by political themes. Artistic Director Alberto Barbera signaled this early on, emphasizing that cinema must remain engaged with pressing global issues such as war, migration, and the climate crisis.
During the closing ceremony, Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco emphasized that the festival must actively engage with real-world events rather than act as a quiet retreat, reinforcing its commitment to open discussion, freedom, and critical thinking.
Over eleven days, numerous premiered films and documentaries addressed crises in regions including Ukraine, Belarus, Iran, the Middle East, and Africa.
Among the 21 films in main competition were Florian Zeller’s ‘Bunker’, starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and Werner Herzog’s ‘Bucking Fastard’, featuring sisters Kate and Rooney Mara sharing the screen for the first time. EFE
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