Woman Unknown

Marie, a young housekeeper, is about to marry an older, wealthy widower who also happens to be her employer. But secrets from her past threaten to come to light, jeopardizing the new life she is trying to build – and perhaps even putting her life at risk. Against the backdrop of post-occupation Copenhagen, where the euphoria of liberation mingles with a powerful desire for revenge, Marie is forced to confront her past as she struggles to secure a better future for herself. Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the new film by May el-Toukhy (Queen of Hearts) is a gripping period drama that gradually takes on the dimensions of a psychological and moral thriller. As in her previous film, el-Toukhy focuses on a woman trying to forge her own path within a rigid system of social conventions, gradually blurring the boundaries between free will, survival and guilt. In the leading role is Mathilde Arcel, who was virtually unknown before the film and whose performance earned her the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival.