‘Woman Unknown’ wins Venice Film Festival’s top prize in rare double victory

VENICE − Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy's post-war drama "Woman Unknown" won the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival on Sept. 12, with its star Mathilde Arcel also taking best actress honors in a rare double victory.

El-Toukhy was the only woman directing a feature film in the 21-film main lineup, a disparity that drew criticism and prompted renewed scrutiny of the barriers facing women in cinema.

Set in the aftermath of World War II, "Woman Unknown" follows a housemaid played by Arcel whose past relationship with a German soldier threatens to destroy her future.

The film unfolds against the backdrop of a newly liberated Denmark, where women accused of fraternising with occupying German forces were often subjected to vigilante justice.

"To me personally, 'Woman Unknown' is about the female body as a battleground and a public matter. And at the same time, the film tells the tale of women who are invisible, unseen and voiceless," el-Toukhy said in her acceptance speech.

South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong took the runner-up Silver Lion award for "Promised Love," while Russian-born filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky won best director for "DAU," a hugely ambitious project shot largely in Ukraine before the ongoing war.

Khrzhanovsky, who has…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/entertainment/