Danish Film 'Woman Unknown' Wins Venice Golden Lion

Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy's postwar drama "Woman Unknown" won the Golden Lion for best film at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Saturday, with its star Mathilde Arcel also taking the Volpi Cup for best actress in a rare double victory. The festival concluded with the announcement of its top prizes, which were decided by a jury led by U.S. actor-director Maggie Gyllenhaal. El-Toukhy was the only woman directing a feature film in the main, 21-strong competition lineup, a disparity that drew criticism during the festival and prompted renewed scrutiny of the barriers facing women in cinema. "Woman Unknown" is set in the aftermath of World War Two and follows a housemaid played by Arcel whose past relationship with a German soldier threatens to destroy her future in a newly liberated Denmark. "To me personally, 'Woman Unknown' is about the female body as a battleground and a public matter," el-Toukhy said in her acceptance speech. "And at the same time, the film tells the tale of women who are invisible, unseen, and voiceless." Arcel, visibly emotional, said it was her first lead role in a movie and her first time at a film festival. "I'm extremely honored," she said.