Danish director May el-Toukhy’s post-war drama Woman Unknown
won the prestigious Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on September 12, 2026, alongside a best actress win for its star, Mathilde Arcel, marking a rare double victory for the festival’s top contender.
May el-Toukhy and Mathilde Arcel Secure Rare Venice Double Victory
Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy claimed the top prize at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on September 12, 2026, with her post-war drama Woman Unknown. The film’s lead actor, Mathilde Arcel, also captured the Volpi Cup for best actress, creating an unusual double triumph for a single production at the festival.
El-Toukhy stood out as the only woman to solely direct a feature film in the 21-film main competition lineup. That imbalance drew scrutiny from critics and filmmakers regarding ongoing industry barriers. In her acceptance speech, the director emphasized the thematic weight of her project.
“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.”
May el-Toukhy, Director
Set in a newly liberated Denmark following World War II, the narrative follows a housemaid named Marie, played by Arcel, who prepares to marry her widowed employer while hiding a fraught secret. During the war, Marie had an intimate relationship with a German soldier, exposing her to the vigilante justice directed at women accused of fraternizing with occupying forces. Arcel, appearing at her first film festival in her debut leading role, was visibly emotional when accepting her award.
“This is my first lead role in a movie and my first time at a film festival. I’m extremely honoured.”
Mathilde Arcel, Actor
Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal explained that the jury made a deliberate exception to Venice customs—which typically avoid bestowing multiple major honors on one film—because the vote for Arcel’s performance was unanimous.
Gaza Documentary NAZA Earns Special Jury Prize Amid Political Backdrop
Steeped in global politics and social upheaval, the festival lineup featured the hard-hitting documentary NAZA, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. The film was awarded the special jury prize, representing the festival’s bronze equivalent.
Produced by the Guardian, NAZA draws upon anonymous testimonies from 24 Israeli military insiders, including intelligence officers and soldiers interviewed on Tel Aviv rooftops at night. The documentary examines military strategies in Gaza and accuses the Israeli military of routinely approving mass civilian deaths during targeted strikes against militants. The film takes its name from an intelligence acronym indicating expected civilian casualties in airstrikes.
The documentary arrived in the main competition late at the filmmakers’ request and debuted late in the schedule, yet generated significant impact. Following its premiere, it received a standing ovation lasting approximately 25 minutes.
“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. So much is being done not to look at reality.”
Yuval Abraham, Director
The day after the film’s premiere, the Israeli military categorically denied the allegations presented in the project.
Silver Lions Awarded to Lee Chang-dong and Ilya Khrzhanovsky
South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong secured the runner-up Silver Lion grand jury prize for Possible Love, a portrait of class and labor centered on a married couple. The project marks Lee’s first film in eight years, following his 2018 release Burning
.
Meanwhile, Russian-born filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky won the Silver Lion for best director for his project DAU
, a biopic exploring quantum physicist Lev Landau and the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons program.
John Malkovich Wins Best Actor for Wild Horse Nine
Veteran US actor John Malkovich was awarded the Volpi Cup for best actor for his performance in Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy Wild Horse Nine. Malkovich portrays an aging, maverick CIA agent whose cancer diagnosis prompts him to question the morality of his profession. The dark comedy also features Sam Rockwell and follows two CIA agents traveling to Easter Island shortly before Chile’s 1973 military coup.
Malkovich did not attend the ceremony in person because he was shooting a project in Montreal, but he accepted the honor via a video message.
“I am humbled to be chosen for this award which has been given to so many wonderful actors over the past 83 iterations of the Venice film festival.”
John Malkovich, Actor
Additional winners included French director Stéphane Brizé, who earned the screenplay prize for his corporate workplace drama A Good Little Soldier, co-written with Coralie Amedeo and Olivier Gorce. Malou Khebizi received the Marcello Mastroianni award for emerging actor for her role in Cédric Kahn’s A Place to Heal
, set within an adolescent psychiatric ward.
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