'Woman Unknown' wins Golden Lion; Malkovich takes best actor at Venice Film Festival

"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, while veteran actor John Malkovich took the best actor prize for his performance in the dark CIA comedy "Wild Horse Nine".

The Maggie Gyllenhaal-led jury announced the awards at the festival's closing ceremony.

Malkovich, who was not present at the ceremony as he is shooting in Montreal, sent a video message expressing his gratitude.

"I am humbled to be chosen for this award, which has been given to so many wonderful actors," he said.

El-Toukhy, the only woman to have solely directed a film in the main competition this year, became the eighth woman to win the festival's top prize.

"To me personally, 'Woman Unknown' is about the female body as a battleground. At the same time, the film tells the tale of women who are unseen, invisible and voiceless," she said.

She also thanked Gyllenhaal for using her voice to highlight unequal opportunities for women in filmmaking.

Set in the immediate aftermath of World War II, "Woman Unknown" follows a nanny and housemaid who is preparing to marry her wealthy employer while concealing a past intimate relationship with a German soldier that threatens to destroy her reputation.

Mathilde Arcel, who plays the lead, won the festival's best actress prize.

Visibly emotional while accepting the award, Arcel placed the trophy on the floor as she spoke about its weight.

"This is my first lead role in a movie and my first time at a film festival. I'm extremely honoured," she said.

South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong's poetic portrait of class and labour, "Possible Love", won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize. It is Lee's first film in eight years following his acclaimed "Burning".

"We are living in an era where the meaning of labour is fading, and human connections are simply becoming severed," Lee said through a translator.

The special jury prize went to "NAZA", a documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor about military strategies employed during the war in Gaza.

The film was added to the main competition late at the filmmakers' request and was also screened late in the festival. It nevertheless drew a record-breaking standing ovation of about 25 minutes after its premiere.

Shot secretly over three years from rooftops in Tel Aviv, "NAZA" features testimony from 24 Israeli military insiders, including intelligence officers and soldiers, who offer accounts of the war in Gaza and what they describe as the systemic killing of Palestinian civilians.

Abraham, while accepting the award, said it was difficult to stand before the audience amid attacks on the film from Israeli politicians and journalists.

The Silver Lion for directing went to Ilya Krzhanovsky for "Dau", a project about Soviet physicists who built the atomic bomb that took more than 20 years to make.

Krzhanovsky, who renounced his Russian citizenship in protest against the war in Ukraine, dedicated the award to Ukrainians, including his mother, who was born there.

French filmmaker Stephane Brize won the screenplay prize for his corporate drama "A Good Little Soldier", while Malou Khebizi received the Marcello Mastroianni Award for emerging actor for her role in Cedric Kahn's "A Place to Heal", set in an adolescent psychiatric ward in a public hospital.

The jury this year also included "The Voice of Hind Rajab" director Kaouther Ben Hania, English composer Daniel Blumberg, French filmmaker Xavier Giannoli, Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat and Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To.

Malkovich's win could also boost his prospects in the upcoming awards season. The Hollywood films in competition, including "Primetime", "Bunker" and "Ink", were shut out of the major awards.

Venice honours are often watched as early indicators of potential Oscar contenders. In recent years, the festival has helped launch best actor campaigns for winners including Brendan Fraser and Adrien Brody.

Malkovich, however, has yet to win an Oscar.