The Venice International Film Festival concluded with an unexpected as Danish director May el-Toukhy’s drama captured the Golden Lion. Announced during the festival’s closing ceremony, the top prize capped off a competitive slate that kept critics and attendees guessing until the final hours.
The Golden Lion and Coppa Volpi
According to festival rules, Woman Unknown secured a rare double victory when lead actress Mathilde Arcel also was awarded the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress. Festival regulations typically prohibit a single film from winning two major prizes unless the jury reaches a unanimous decision to award the Golden Lion alongside an acting honor, a provision requiring direct approval from the festival director. Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal and her panel achieved that unanimity, elevating the Danish drama past heavily favored international contenders.
Navigating Festival Frontrunners and Controversies
Leading up to the awards ceremony, festival buzz pointed toward other prominent titles. Lee Chang-dong’s South Korean drama Possible Love emerged early as a critical darling, ultimately taking home the Grand Jury Prize. Meanwhile, the documentary NAZA, directed by Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham, captured the Special Jury Prize following intense discussion over its political subject matter regarding military operations in Gaza. Despite ranking sixth on the daily critics’ grid distributed at the Lido, Woman Unknown surpassed these frontrunners through its focused character study of a Danish maid navigating post-World War II societal upheaval and retribution against Nazi collaborators.
Jury Dynamics and Notable Absences
Addressing post-ceremony press questions regarding the film’s selection in a year with limited female representation in competition, Gyllenhaal dismissed suggestions that the jury favored the film solely for its director’s gender. Gyllenhaal stated during the press conference that she evaluates films strictly on merit, noting her active dislike of various works by both male and female filmmakers. The international jury—comprising Johnnie To, Francesco Casetti, Kaouther Ben Hania, Daniel Blumberg, Xavier Giannoli, and Shahrbanu Sadat—deliberated extensively before finalizing the awards.
In another departure from unwritten festival traditions, the jury awarded no prizes to the five Italian films in competition, including Marco Bechis’s widely discussed Ritorno a Buenos Aires. Italian juror Francesco Casetti noted during the press conference that domestic titles received thorough consideration during the closed-door sessions, though their specific cultural nuances ultimately failed to secure a majority among the international panel.
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