‘Woman, Unknown,’ Director May el-Toukhy
Danish-Egyptian filmmaker May el-Toukhy broke out at Sundance Fest in 2019 with Queen of Hearts, which was the winner of the World Cinema dramatic audience award.
Her long-awaited third feature, Woman, Unknwn, looks built for a European festival launchpad.
Set in post-World War II Denmark, the drama follows Marie (Mathilde Arcel), a young housekeeper poised to marry the wealthy widower she serves.
She is guarding a shameful secret: a wartime relationship with a German soldier that resurfaces during the three days surrounding her engagement dinner.
Carsten Bjørnlund co-stars in the Nordisk Film production, co-written with longtime collaborator Maren Louise Kähne.
It was shot in Riga, Gothenburg and Copenhagen, with a late-2026 release planned.
An Orizzonti berth beckons, but a big step up into Venice’s main competition is also conceivable.
