Venice: Danish director May el-Toukhy (R) of the film Woman Unknown, also the winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film, and Mathilde Arcel, winner of the Best Actress for Woman Unknown, pose together with their trophies at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 12, 2026. The 83rd Venice International Film Festival closed on Saturday on Venice's Lido. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)
Los Angeles, (IANS) Hollywood actress-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, who earlier made a defining statement about the lack of women filmmakers, has now reacted to awarding the Golden Lion to ‘Woman Unknown’ directed by a female filmmaker May el-Toukhy at the Venice film festival.
Venice: U.S. actress and director Maggie Gyllenhaal, president of the 83rd Venice Film Festival Jury, poses at the red carpet of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival closing ceremony in Venice, Italy, Sept. 12, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)The actress, who serves as Venice jury president, spoke at the press conference, and rejected the notion that she and her fellow jury members were making any sort of “political statement” by awarding the film.
She said sarcastically, “I actually didn’t see ‘Woman Unknown’. I just was like, ‘It’s made by a woman and so, Golden Lion’”
.
Venice: Mathilde Arcel of the film Woman Unknown poses with the trophy for Best Actress at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 12, 2026. The 83rd Venice International Film Festival closed on Saturday on Venice's Lido. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)
Venice: Mathilde Arcel of the film Woman Unknown poses with the trophy for Best Actress at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 12, 2026. The 83rd Venice International Film Festival closed on Saturday on Venice's Lido. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)She went on, “I will say that, of course, I anticipated that question. There are many movies that women made that I don’t like and some that I actively, strongly don’t like, just like films made by men. I have one vote just as each member of this jury does, and so all of the decisions that we make are always complicated, always involve a lot of conversation”.
“I think I’m tired of talking about this same subject over and over. I will continue to do it, but just for a minute, here in this incredible place, I just want to celebrate a beautifully made movie that I felt was like a laser beam just for the well-made movie that it is”, she added.
Venice: Danish director May el-Toukhy (L) of the film Woman Unknown, also the winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film, and Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, pose together for photos at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 12, 2026. The 83rd Venice International Film Festival closed on Saturday on Venice's Lido. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)Gyllenhaal’s jury also consisted of ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ director Kaouther Ben Hania, Hong Kong filmmaking giant Johnnie To, Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, French director and screenwriter Xavier Giannoli, ‘The Brutalist’ composer Daniel Blumberg and U.S.-based Italian film academic Francesco Casetti.
The only other movie in competition involving a woman director was the Israeli narrative film on Palestine, ‘NAZA’ which was co-helmed by Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham.
Venice: Director Johnnie To (L) from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, also a member of the 83rd International Venice Film Festival Jury, gives the trophy of the Grand Jury Prize to South Korean director Lee Chang-dong of the film Possible Love at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 12, 2026. The 83rd Venice International Film Festival closed on Saturday on Venice's Lido. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS) 
