May el-Toukhy's ‘Woman Unknown’ premieres in Venice

"Woman Unknown" ("Kvinde Ukendt"), May el-Toukhy’s first feature since her acclaimed 2019 drama “Queen of Hearts,” premiered in competition at the Venice International Film Festival on Sunday.

The period film is the sole female-directed entry in this year’s Venice competition, down from six of 21 films last year. Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera called the figure a “historic low in recent years.”

Set in the aftermath of Denmark’s liberation from Nazi occupation, "Woman Unknown" stars Mathilde Arcel as Marie, a young nanny and housemaid preparing to marry Christian, a wealthy older widower for whom she works.

But Marie is hiding a secret: during World War II, she had an intimate relationship with a German soldier, and as the war ends, her past threatens the new life and social status she hopes to build.

Marie is forced to fight for the preservation of her new status as “lady of the house” as the old social order gives way to postwar anarchy.

Danish-Egyptian filmmaker El-Toukhy co-wrote the screenplay with Maren Louise Käehne, who also collaborated with her on “Queen of Hearts.”

“Woman Unknown” is a Denmark-Sweden-Latvia production and is competing for the top prize at Venice, the Golden Lion.

This year's jury is chaired by American filmmaker and actor Maggie Gyllenhaal and includes Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, British composer and artist Daniel Blumberg, Italian film scholar Francesco Casetti, French filmmaker Xavier Giannoli, Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat and Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To.

May el-Toukhy's ‘Woman Unknown,’ sole female-directed film in competition, premieres in Venice