TrustNordisk is thrilled to announce that Lucky Red has acquired the Italian distribution rights to May el-Toukhy’s WOMAN UNKNOWN ahead of the film’s world premiere in the Competition section at Venice International Film Festival.
The deal was negotiated between Stefano Massenzi, Head of Acquisitions and Business Affairs at Lucky Red, and Nicolai Korsgaard, Sales Director at TrustNordisk.
“We are proud to have acquired the Italian distribution rights to Woman Unknown, a powerful and emotionally gripping historical thriller that invites us to see the story of women after the Second World War through new eyes, reclaiming a deeply female perspective,” says Andrea Occhipinti, CEO at Lucky Red.
Last week it was announced that WOMAN UNKNOWN will have its world premiere in the prestigious Competition section at Venice International Film Festival. The film is a suspenseful and sophisticated psychological drama starring the new rising star Mathilde Arcel (SECOND VICTIMS; SPECIAL UNIT – THE FIRST MURDER) in the leading role.
Arcel is supported by Carsten Bjørnlund (THE LEGACY), Thorbjørn Hedegaard (GENERATIONS), Marina Bouras (SONS; THE IDIOTS) among others in a story about a young woman desperately trying to erase the past and rewrite her life.
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.
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).
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.