Woman Unknown (film)
2026 film by May el-Toukhy
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Woman Unknown (Danish: Kvinde ukendt) is a 2026 drama film directed by May el-Toukhy, co-written with Maren Louise Käehne. A co-production of Denmark, Sweden, and Latvia, it stars Mathilde Arcel as Marie, a young nanny and housemaid harbouring a secret shortly after Nazi occupation of Denmark.
- May el-Toukhy
- Maren Louise Käehne
| Woman Unknown | |
|---|---|
Danish promotional poster | |
| Danish | Kvinde ukendt |
| Directed by | May el-Toukhy |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Mikael Rieks |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Jasper Spanning |
| Edited by | Rasmus Stensgaard Madsen |
| Music by | Mikkel Hess |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 124 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Danish |
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 6 September 2026, where it won the Golden Lion and Arcel won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress.[1] It will be theatrically released in Denmark on 4 February 2027.
Premise
Set in the aftermath of World War II, a young nanny prepares to marry her wealthy employer while keeping a secret.[2]
Cast
- Mathilde Arcel as Marie
- Carsten Bjørnlund as Christian
- Thorbjørn Hedegaard as Karl
- Marina Bouras as Esther
Production
In May 2024, it was reported that May el-Toukhy would direct her third feature film titled Woman, Unknown from a screenplay she wrote with Maren Louise Käehne.[3] In November 2024, the project received a €349,000 production grant from Eurimages.[4] In January 2026, it was presented at the Works in Progress section of the Nordic Film Market, held during the Gothenburg Film Festival.[5]
Release
Woman Unknown had its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 6 September 2026, where it won the Golden Lion.[6] It was the only film directed by a woman selected to compete in the main competition.[7] The film will have its North American Premiere in Centrepiece at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on 15 September 2026.[8][9] In October 2026, it will compete at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival in official competition.[10]
In August 2025, TrustNordisk acquired the film's international sales rights.[11] The film will have its theatrical release in Denmark on 4 February 2027.[12]
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10.[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[14]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be "a very watchable, expertly managed drama about the return of the repressed".[15]
Accolades
| Award ceremony | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Film Festival | 12 September 2026 | Golden Lion | Woman Unknown | Won | [16][1] |
| Volpi Cup for Best Actress | Mathilde Arcel | Won | |||
| BFI London Film Festival | 18 October 2026 | Best Film | Woman Unknown | Pending | [17] |