The Venice Film Festival awarded its top prize on Saturday to a Danish-made drama about a woman trying to hide a wartime relationship with a Nazi the only feature film with a female director in the competition.
“NAZA”, by Oscar-winning Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Szor, had been tipped by some critics for the top Golden Lion prize for best film after a record-breaking 25-minute ovation at its premiere on Thursday.
In their 80-minute film, Abraham and Szor spoke to 24 different Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers who outlined the AI-powered targeting systems used to bombard Gaza that have killed tens of thousands of civilians. Most certainly disgust, on a profound level, for the current Israeli regime”.
“Unknown Woman” had been a major talking point of the festival due to its subject matter, which has rarely been explored in film, and because director May el-Toukhy was almost alone as a woman director in the event. The best actor award went to John Malkovich for his role as a jaded CIA agent in dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine,” which sees him take a break with a colleague on Easter Island in Chile ahead of the 1973 US-backed military coup there. Film magazine Variety said Malkovich was “drumming up awards buzz” and tipped him for a possible first best actor Oscar at the next awards ceremony. Best actress was picked up by Denmark’s Mathilde Arcel who was cast in her first film role in “Woman Unknown”. The film was described as an “urgent, gut-punch” by film magazine Screen, while The Hollywood Reporter said it inspired “outrage…indignity as well.
