VENICE, Italy — “Woman Unknown,” a drama about Denmark in the aftermath of the Nazi occupation directed by May el-Toukhy, won the prestigious Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Saturday.
\n\nThe Maggie Gyllenhaal -led jury announced the winners, which included a best actor prize for John Malkovich for his performance in the dark CIA comedy “Wild Horse Nine.”
\n\nMalkovich was not in attendance at the ceremony, but he sent a video message, explaining that he is shooting in Montreal.
\n\n“I am humbled to be chosen for this award which has been given to so many wonderful actors,” Malkovich said.
\n\nEl-Toukhy, who was the only woman to have solely directed a film in the main competition this year, is the eighth woman to have won the festival’s top prize.
\n\n“To me personally, ‘Woman Unknown’ is about the female body as a battleground,” el-Toukhy said. “At the same time the film tells the tale of women who are unseen, invisible and voiceless.”
\n\nShe thanked Gyllenhaal for using her voice to shine a light on unequal opportunities for women in moviemaking.
\n\nThe film, which does not yet have distribution in North America, is centered on a young nanny and housemaid…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business