May el-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown, a drama exploring Denmark in the wake of the Nazi occupation, won the prestigious Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Saturday. The jury, led by Maggie Gyllenhaal, also awarded the Best Actor prize to John Malkovich for his performance in the dark CIA comedy Wild Horse Nine, significantly increasing his chances of winning an Oscar next year. Malkovich was unable to attend the ceremony in person due to filming commitments in Montreal, but sent a video message to accept the accolade.
"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 female director with a film competing individually in the main section this year, becomes just the eighth woman to take home the festival's top award. "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." The director paid tribute to Gyllenhaal for using her prominence to highlight ongoing gender disparities within the film industry. The film, which has yet to secure distribution in North America, centers on a young housemaid preparing to marry her wealthy employer in the immediate aftermath of the war. Her life is threatened by a secret past relationship with a German soldier.
Mathilde Arcel, playing the lead, received the Best Actress award. New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. An emotional Arcel placed her trophy on the stage floor as she accepted it, noting its considerable weight. "This is my first lead role in a movie and my first time at a film festival," she said.
"I’m extremely honored." The Silver Lion grand jury prize was awarded to South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong for Possible Love, a poetic study of class and labor. The feature marks Lee’s return to cinema eight years after his celebrated film Burning. "We are living in an era where the meaning of labor is fading and human connections are increasingly becoming severed," Lee said via a translator.
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