Woman Unknown wins Golden Lion at Venice as jury denies political statement
Woman Unknown, a post-war drama from Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy, won the Golden Lion — Venice's top prize — at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 12 September.
The official awards were announced by five international juries during a ceremony held at 7:00 pm in Venice, according to festival organiser La Biennale La Biennale. Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal presented the top award to el-Toukhy's film, which was the only film solely directed by a woman among the 21 titles in competition for the Golden Lion Variety.
At a press conference after the ceremony, Gyllenhaal rejected the notion that the choice was a political statement. She described Woman Unknown as a beautifully made movie that felt like a laser beam. The jury alongside her included Kaouther Ben Hania, Johnnie To, Shahrbanoo Sadat, Xavier Giannoli, Daniel Blumberg and Francesco Casetti.
The winning film is credited as a Denmark, Sweden and Latvia production La Biennale. It centres on Marie, a young nanny and housemaid about to marry the wealthy older widower she works for, Christian, while guarding a shameful secret. It is el-Toukhy's first film in seven years, following work between features on the dramas Cry Wolf and The Crown Deadline.
The festival also recognised Mathilde Arcel with the Volpi Cup for best actress for her performance in Woman Unknown. The special jury prize went to NAZA, co-directed by Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham.
The night closed the main competition before the world premiere screening of Giovanni Veronesi's Dio ride, the festival's closing film, in the Palazzo del Cinema. The 2026 edition also honoured George Clooney with a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement on 2 September and Ellen Burstyn with the same honour on 7 September, alongside awards for filmmaker Luca Guadagnino and actress Serena Rossi. Its industry arm, the Venice Production Bridge, drew 3,000 accredited attendees.
What makes this stand out is the simple count. One solo woman director in a field of 21 took the festival's biggest prize, and the jury insisted the filmmaking alone decided it.
