May el-Toukhy’s post-war drama Woman Unknown won the Golden Lion for best film at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Saturday, September 12, capping a festival whose jury was led by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
The winning film
A Danish, Swedish and Latvian co-production, Woman Unknown follows Marie, a young nanny and housekeeper who is about to marry her wealthy, older, widowed employer, Christian. She is hiding a secret: a relationship with a German soldier during the Nazi occupation of the Second World War. As she works to secure her new place in post-war society, that past threatens to surface.
Mathilde Arcel, who plays Marie opposite Carsten Bjørnlund, also won the Coppa Volpi for best actress, giving the film a double that confirmed it as the jury’s clear favourite.
Malkovich takes best actor
John Malkovich won the Coppa Volpi for best actor for his performance in Wild Horse Nine, a high point in a long career that has spanned stage and screen for more than four decades.
A record ovation for ‘Naza’
The Special Jury Prize went to Naza, co-directed by Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham. Its premiere earned what organisers described as the longest standing ovation ever recorded at the festival, lasting 25 minutes.
The 2026 Venice winners
- Golden Lion: Woman Unknown — May el-Toukhy
- Special Jury Prize: Naza — Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham
- Silver Lion – Jury Prize: Possible Love — Lee Chang-dong
- Coppa Volpi, best actress: Mathilde Arcel, Woman Unknown
- Coppa Volpi, best actor: John Malkovich, Wild Horse Nine
- Best screenplay: Un bon petit soldat (A Good Little Soldier) — Stéphane Brizé
- Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young performer: Malou Khebizi, 15/18 (A Place to Heal), directed by Cédric Kahn
Why Venice matters
As the first of the major autumn festivals, Venice has in recent years become a launchpad for awards-season contenders, with several recent Golden Lion and competition titles going on to strong runs at the Oscars. Distributors will now be watching how Woman Unknown and the other prize-winners travel through the autumn festival circuit and into cinemas.