83rd Venice Int’l Film Festival: ‘Woman Unknown’ wins Golden Lion, John Malkovich takes Best Actor
May el-Toukhy’s ‘Woman Unknown’ has won the Golden Lion for best film at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, with the Danish drama also earning Mathilde Arcel the Volpi Cup for best actress.
The film, which follows a young housemaid whose intimate relationship with a German soldier during World War II threatens her future, was the only competition title solely directed by a woman.
Earlier in the ceremony, ‘Woman Unknown’ star Mathilde Arcel received the Volpi Cup for best actress.
The film marks her first leading role and her first appearance at a film festival.
John Malkovich received the Volpi Cup for best actor for his portrayal of an eccentric CIA agent in Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine’.
‘NAZA,’ a harrowing documentary about military strategies employed in the war in Gaza from Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, was awarded a special jury prize.
Full list of Venice award winners below:
Competition
# Golden Lion for Best Film: ‘Woman Unknown’ – May El-Toukhy
# Grand Jury Prize: ‘Possible Love’ – Lee Chang-dong
# Silver Lion for Best Director: Ilya Khrzhanovsky – ‘DAU’
# Special Jury Prize: ‘NAZA’ – Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
# Best Screenplay: ‘A Good Little Soldier’ – Stéphane Brizé, Coralie Amédéo and Olivier Gorce
# Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Mathilde Arcel – ‘Woman Unknown’
# Volpi Cup for Best Actor: John Malkovich – ‘Wild Horse Nine’
# Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: Malou Khebizi – ‘A Place to Heal’
# Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Debut Film: ‘House of the Wind’ – Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
Venice Spotlight
# Armani Beauty Audience Award: ‘I Matter’ – Alina erban
Horizons
# Best Film: ‘Diane in the Loop’ – Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni
# Best Director: Jacqueline Lentzou – ‘A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra’
# Special Jury Prize: ‘House of the Wind’ – Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
# Best Actress: Laleh Marzban – ‘Falling House’
# Best Actor: Riccardo Scamarcio – ‘The Children of the Monkey’
# Best Screenplay: ‘The Children of the Monkey’ – Tommaso Landucci and Damiano Femfert
# Best Short Film: ‘A Few Moments of Happiness’ – Shaden Safieddine Tazi
Venice Classics
# Best Restored Film: ‘Long Night of 1943’ – Florestano Vancini
Venice Immersive
# Grand Prize: ‘The Pigeon Ring’ – Shixin Tao and Yuqi Zhang
# Special Jury Prize: ‘Out of the Ashes’ – Rory Mitchell and Nonny de la Peña
# Achievement Prize: ‘Empire at Sea’ – Peter Flaherty.
