Director May el-Toukhy’s latest feature, Woman Unknown (Danish title: Kvinde ukendt), held its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 6, 2026. Screening in the prestigious Sala Grande, the film explores the harrowing aftermath of World War II for women accused of “horizontal collaboration” with German occupiers, a subject that has sparked renewed conversation about both historical gendered violence and the current lack of female representation in major film competitions.
The film, co-written by el-Toukhy and Maren Louise Käehne, stars Mathilde Arcel as Marie, a young nanny living in a rural community while harboring a secret about her wartime past. Set in the immediate wake of the Nazi occupation, the narrative centers on the extrajudicial punishments meted out to women who had relationships with German soldiers. These women, often referred to in Denmark as tyskerpiger (German girls), were frequently subjected to public shaming and forced head-shavings by local mobs and resistance members.
Historical Trauma and the “Systemic Problem” at Venice
The premiere of Woman Unknown arrived amid a backdrop of scrutiny regarding the Venice Film Festival’s selection process. When the initial lineup for the 2026 competition was announced, el-Toukhy was the only female director among the 20 films selected for the Golden Lion. The festival later added the documentary NAZA, co-directed by Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham, which brought the total number of female-directed films in the 21-film competition to two.
During an opening press conference on September 2, jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal addressed the disparity, characterizing the low number of female-directed films as a “systemic problem” within the industry and the festival circuit. Gyllenhaal is leading a jury that includes directors Johnnie To and Kaouther Ben Hania. El-Toukhy’s presence in the competition marks a significant return for the director, whose 2019 film Queen of Hearts garnered international acclaim for its provocative look at sexual morality and social judgment.
Production and Global Release
A co-production between Denmark, Sweden, and Latvia, Woman Unknown was developed with a focus on the specific historical nuances of the Danish post-war purge. Historians estimate that thousands of Danish women faced social and physical retribution during this period, often without formal legal proceedings. The film aims to humanize these figures, examining how the female body became a site of national retribution after the conflict ended.
According to sales agent TrustNordisk, the film is scheduled for its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) later in September 2026. Audiences in Denmark will see a wide theatrical release starting February 4, 2027. The project was supported by the Danish Film Institute and Film i Väst, continuing el-Toukhy’s exploration of complex female protagonists caught in restrictive social structures.
