French distributor Memento has acquired May el-Toukhy’s Golden Lion winner WOMAN UNKNOWN from TrustNordisk.
The French distribution deal was negotiated between Alexandre Mallet-Guy, CEO of Memento and Nicolai Korsgaard, Sales Director at TrustNordisk.
“We were impressed by the unfailing precision and sharp rigour of May el-Toukhy’s work which demonstrates impressive narrative power. Woman Unknown is not only a faithful portrayal of the immediate post-war period it is also a bold portrait of a woman of her time brilliantly played by Mathilde Arcel. We are looking forward to sharing the film with French audiences”, says Alexandre Mallet-Guy, CEO of Memento.
Additionally, TrustNordisk has closed deals on the film for Spain (Karma Films), Poland (Best Film), Portugal (Nitrato Filmes), the former Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom Film) and Bulgaria (Beta Film) with negotiations ongoing in numerous other territories.
Previously announced deals include Italy (Lucky Red), Benelux (September Film), Latin America (California Filmes), Greece (Neo Film) and the Baltics (Estin Film).
This Saturday, May el-Toukhy’s WOMAN UNKNOWN took home the Golden Lion while actress Mathilde Arcel was awarded with the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her leading role in the film. The film has been praised by critics and the festival run currently continues with North American premiere in the Centrepiece section at TIFF today. After TIFF the film will travel to BFI London Film Festival, Riga International Film Festival and Busan International Film Festival.
Since May el-Toukhy’s debut LONG STORY SHORT (2015) the director has proven her exceptional talent for directing emotionally charged and character-driven dramas. Her second feature film QUEEN OF HEARTS (2019) world premiered at Sundance International Film Festival and received numerous awards at festivals all over the world e.g. the Audience Award at Sundance, the Nordic Council Film Prize and 3 awards at Gothenburg International Film Festival, to name a few. Besides feature films, el-Toukhy has directed several episodes of popular series such as THE LEGACY (2017), RIDE UPON THE STORM (2017), CRY WOLF (2020) and several episodes of THE CROWN (2022-2023). May el-Toukhy is also among the five filmmakers in the artistic collective behind the Danish DOGMA 25-initiative.
WOMAN UNKNOWN is el-Toukhy’s third feature film with which she continues her long-term co-operation with screenwriter Maren Louise Käehne (LONG STORY SHORT; QUEEN OF HEARTS, THE BRIDGE, BORGEN).
Synopsis
Marie, a young nanny and housemaid, is about to marry the wealthy older widower, Christian, for whom she is working. But Marie guards a shameful secret. During World War II, she was in an intimate relationship with a German soldier. Now Marie’s past threatens to catch up with her, and she is forced to do everything in her power to preserve her new status as lady of the house in post-war anarchy.
WOMAN UNKNOWN is directed by May el-Toukhy, written by May el-Toukhy and Maren Louise Käehne and produced by Mikael Rieks (LAND OF MINE; BOUNDLESS; APPLAUSE) for Nordisk Film Production A/S in co-production with Nafta Films, Nordisk Film Production Sweden and Film i Väst with support from The Danish Film Institute, Eurimages - Council of Europe, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Riga City Council, Nordisk Film & TV Fund, DR, The Swedish Film Institute, SVT, LIAA, Riga Film Fund, TrustNordisk and Zentropa. Local distribution by Nordisk Film Distribution. TrustNordisk handles international sales.