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Director May el-Toukhy Discusses ‘Woman Unknown’ and Venice Snub

Updated 2026-09-06 12:10 UTC 1 source Neutral

May el-Toukhy, the director of 'Woman Unknown,' discusses her film's exploration of women accused of collaborating with German soldiers during World War II. She also addresses the lack of female representation at the Venice Film Festival, attributing it to systemic issues within the industry.

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Variety

‘Woman Unknown’ Director May el-Toukhy Talks the Torment of World War II ‘Horizontal Collaborators’ and Venice’s Female Director Snub: ‘It’s a Structural Problem’

In “Woman Unknown,” May el-Toukhy takes a closer look at women accused of having relationships with German soldiers during World War II. “When we started to build a story about a ‘horizontal collaborator,’ we realized that, during and after the war, the female body became part of national identity.

2026-09-06 12:03 UTC