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May el-Toukhy at Venice Film Festival

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2026-09-13 19:38 UTC → 2026-09-13 20:48 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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.~~ Szor, which examines military and intelligence testimonies regarding the use of AI-driven targeting in the Gaza Strip.

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