Venice Film Festival Honors Top Prize to Danish Drama

The Venice Film Festival concluded on Saturday with its top honor awarded to a Danish film titled “Woman Unknown.” This drama tells the story of a woman grappling with a wartime relationship with a Nazi, and notably, it was the only film in the competition directed by a woman.

“Woman Unknown” sparked considerable discussion at the festival, primarily because of its unique subject matter, which isn’t frequently depicted in films, and because May el-Toukhy, the director, was among the few female directors present.

In fact, there was only one other woman represented in the competition—Rachel Szor, co-director of the unsettling documentary “NAZA,” which addresses the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This event showcased a total of 21 films vying for awards during the high-profile closing ceremony.

El-Toukhy remarked at the ceremony, “’Woman Unknown’ explores the female body as a battleground and a public issue, highlighting stories of women who are often rendered invisible and voiceless.”

The head of the jury this year, actress-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, expressed concerns about the lack of films by women earlier in the festival but chose not to delve deeper into that topic during the final press conference. “I think I’m just kind of tired of rehashing this same subject,” she explained, adding that she wanted to celebrate the excellence of the film instead, which she described as being “like a laser beam.”

Additional Awards

The award ceremony rounded off ten days filled with often challenging and dark content, which chief organizer Alberto Barbera emphasized aimed to reflect the current war-torn, anxious state of the world.

The Silver Lion for second place went to “Possible Love,” a moving exploration of relationships from South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, which received high praise throughout the festival.

The best director accolade was awarded to Russian-born Ilya Khrzhanovsky for his ambitious and experimental project “DAU,” which delves into the life of Lev Landau, a significant figure in the Soviet nuclear program. This massive film project began two decades ago, involving thousands of people, many of whom lived as characters for months at a time within a fully recreated Soviet research facility.

Khrzhanovsky dedicated the award to the people of Ukraine, stating, “I always believed this movie could be completed,” acknowledging their ongoing struggle for freedom amidst conflict.

The best actor award went to John Malkovich for his performance as a seasoned CIA agent in the dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine.” This film portrays his character taking a break with a colleague on Easter Island just before a US-backed military coup in 1973 Chile. Film magazine Variety noted that Malkovich was generating buzz for potential awards recognition, possibly even an Oscar.

Best actress was awarded to Mathilde Arcel from Denmark for her portrayal of a bride-to-be unable to escape the shadow of her past relationship with a Nazi in “Woman Unknown.” The 30-year-old shared with AFP that she isn’t fond of fame, though Gyllenhaal believes her future is bright, stating, “I think she is going to blow our socks off.”

Insight on “NAZA”

“NAZA,” the documentary by Szor and her co-director Yuval Abraham, had garnered attention, even being speculated as a front-runner for the best film award after receiving a unique 25-minute ovation during its premiere. However, it ultimately won a special jury prize—an acknowledgment given for an outstanding work.

This 80-minute film features interviews with 24 whistleblowers from the Israeli military or intelligence community discussing the systematic nature of civilian casualties resulting from sophisticated AI targeting systems used in Gaza. Abraham recounted, “The Israeli intelligence officials explained how this mass killing is deliberate, driven by policies that dehumanize Palestinians.”

The film was characterized as an urgent piece that struck hard, with some critiques expressing outrage and deep discomfort toward the current Israeli regime. The Israeli military has since responded, disputing the film’s reliance on anonymous testimonies, claiming that the identities of the whistleblowers cannot be verified. They maintain that civilians are not intentionally targeted in their operations.