The Venice Film Festival concluded its 83rd edition with May el-Toukhy’sWoman Unknownsecuring the prestigious Golden Lion. The film, set in post-liberation Denmark, portrays the story of Marie, a housemaid played by Mathilde Arcel, who harbors a secret wartime romance with a German soldier while preparing to marry her employer. Critics have praised the film for its stylistic elegance, with some comparing it to the suspenseful depth of Alfred Hitchcock’s work.
Mathilde Arcel’s performance also earned her the Volpi Cup for best actress. Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal explained the rare decision to grant both the top film award and a performance honor to the same project, stating that the jury’s support for Arcel was unanimous. “She is going to blow our socks off,” Gyllenhaal remarked. In her acceptance speech, El-Toukhy highlighted the difficulties of the production, noting that her film was the only one in the competition with a sole female director.
The festival’s second-tier honor, the Grand Jury Prize, was awarded to Lee Chang-dong’sPossible Lovea drama centered on an unhappy couple. The Special Jury Prize went toNAZAa documentary regarding the use of artificial intelligence in military strikes in Gaza. The film, produced byfeatures anonymous testimonies from 24 Israeli military insiders. During his acceptance, director Yuval Abraham noted the difficulty of navigating criticism from officials who condemned the work without viewing it. In response, the Israeli military has categorically denied the film’s allegations.
The Silver Lion for best director was awarded to Ilya Khrzhanovsky forDAUa biographical film about physicist Lev Landau. The project faced controversy during the festival due to its funding sources and the political stances of its lead actor. Addressing concerns about the conflict in Ukraine, Khrzhanovsky expressed his desire for peace and the success of the Ukrainian government. John Malkovich received the Volpi Cup for best actor for his performance inWild Horse Nineaccepting the honor via video link from abroad. The report also notes that likening it to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca, film critic hailed Woman Unknown as “elegantly appointed” in his review. The report also notes that the jury president, Maggie Gyllenhaal, said they were able to make an exception because the jury’s vote for the Danish actor was unanimous, speaking to the press after the ceremony. The report also notes that “This film has been incredibly challenging to make financially, logistically, emotionally,” El-Toukhy said. The report also notes that “And what kept me going was the urgent need to illuminate the unknown women of our common history, to make them known. The report also notes that and especially tonight, I feel like I succeeded in doing just that.”. The report also notes that the film, which was produced by, is based on testimony from 24 Israeli military insiders who are interviewed anonymously at night on rooftops in Tel Aviv. The report also notes that it takes its title from an acronym used by the intelligence service to indicate how many civilians it expects to die in an airstrike on Gaza. The report also notes that “It’s honestly not very easy to stand here, thinking of all the Israeli politicians and journalists who are now attacking this film and denying it without even seeing it,” Abraham said when accepting his prize.
Official Competition Winners
- Golden Lion (Best Film)Woman Unknowndir. May el-Toukhy
- Grand Jury PrizePossible Lovedir. Lee Chang-dong
- Silver Lion (Best Director): Ilya Khrzhanovsky forDAU
- Special Jury PrizeNAZAdir. Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
- Volpi Cup (Best Actress): Mathilde ArcelWoman Unknown
- Volpi Cup (Best Actor): John MalkovichWild Horse Nine
- Best ScreenplayUn bon petit soldatStéphane Brizé, Coralie Amédéo, and Olivier Gorce
- Marcello Mastroianni Award (Best Young Actor): Malou Khebizi15/18 A Place to Heal
- Armani Beauty Audience AwardEu contez (I Matter)dir. Alina Șerban
- Luigi De Laurentiis Award (Debut Film)La maison du vent (House of the Wind)dir. Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
