# May el-Toukhy at Venice Film Festival > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/may-el-toukhy-at-venice-film-festival > Updated: 2026-09-11T14:22:31.000Z. Sources: 297. Developments: 2. At the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, director May el-Toukhy drew attention for her symbolic attire during the premiere of her film, ‘Woman Unknown’. Her clothing featured a scarlet design of red tassels on the back, intended to resemble a bloodstain or wound, reflecting the film’s themes regarding the public humiliation and violence faced by women in post-WWII Denmark. Following the premiere, el-Toukhy won the Golden Lion, becoming only the eighth woman in the festival's history to win the top prize and the first female director from Denmark to do so. This victory marks the first time a Danish film has received the festival's top honor since Carl Theodor Dreyer’s ‘Ordet’ won in 1955. The film’s lead, Mathilde Arcel, also received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. The win occurred amidst discussions regarding gender disparity in the competition, as jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal noted that el-Toukhy was one of only two women directing films in the 21-film selection. As the festival concluded, Gyllenhaal characterized the gender disparity in film financing and competition as a ‘structural problem’. ‘Woman Unknown’ follows a young woman named Marie who faces social ruin due to a secret relationship with a German soldier during the occupation. The film is a co-production involving Denmark, Sweden, and Latvia. Other major festival awards included the Silver Lion (Grand Jury Prize) for ‘Possible Love’ directed by Lee Chang-dong, Best Director for Ilya Khrzhanovsky for ‘DAU’, and Best Actor for John Malkovich for ‘Wild Horse Nine’. The Special Jury Prize was awarded to the documentary ‘NAZA’ by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, which examines military and intelligence testimonies regarding the use of AI-driven targeting in the Gaza Strip. ## Claims - Mathilde Arcel won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her role in 'Woman Unknown'. (corroborated by 9 sources) - May el-Toukhy won the Golden Lion for the film 'Woman Unknown'. (corroborated by 8 sources) - Ilya Khrzhanovsky won the Silver Lion for Best Director for the film 'DAU'. (corroborated by 8 sources) - The documentary 'NAZA' by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor received the Special Jury Prize. (corroborated by 7 sources) - The Danish film 'Woman Unknown' directed by May el-Toukhy won the Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. (corroborated by 7 sources) - The documentary 'NAZA' by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor received a Special Jury Prize. (corroborated by 7 sources) - Lee Chang-dong's 'Possible Love' received the Grand Jury Prize. (corroborated by 6 sources) - South Korean director Lee Chang-dong won the Silver Lion (Grand Jury Prize) for 'Possible Love'. (corroborated by 6 sources) - Ilya Khrzhanovsky won the Silver Lion for Best Director for ‘DAU’. (corroborated by 5 sources) - The jury was presided over by Maggie Gyllenhaal. (corroborated by 5 sources) - John Malkovich won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for Wild Horse Nine. (corroborated by 5 sources) - May el-Toukhy won the Golden Lion for her film 'Woman Unknown'. (corroborated by 4 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-11: Venice Film Festival: ‘Woman Unknown’ wins Golden Lion The 83rd Venice Film Festival awarded the Golden Lion to May el-Toukhy’s ‘Woman Unknown’. Mathilde Arcel won Best Actress, and John Malkovich took Best Actor honors. 297 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/may-el-toukhy-wins-golden-lion-at-venice-film-festival ### 2026-09-08: May el-Toukhy uses symbolic attire at Venice Film Festival Director May el-Toukhy used a symbolic blood-like design on her red carpet gown at the Venice Film Festival to reflect the themes of her new film, ‘Woman Unknown’, set in post-occupation Denmark. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/may-el-toukhy-uses-symbolic-attire-at-venice-film-festival --- Cite as: May el-Toukhy at Venice Film Festival. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/may-el-toukhy-at-venice-film-festival