Golden Lion Goes to Venice's Only Female Director

The Danish postwar drama Woman Unknown, directed by May el-Toukhy, triumphed at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion. Mathilde Arcel underscored the film's success, winning the award for best actress.

El-Toukhy was the only woman among the directors of the 21 films in the main competition, once again sparking discussion during the festival about the status of women in the film industry.

South Korean director Lee Chang-dong won the Silver Lion for Promised Love. Ilya Khrzhanovsky took home the award for directing DAU, a film shot primarily in Ukraine, and dedicated his award to Ukraine.

John Malkovich was named best actor for his role in Wild Horse Nine. The documentary NAZA, about the war in Gaza, also attracted significant attention, winning the Special Jury Prize and receiving a 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere.

(Reuters)