May el-Toukhy's "Woman Unknown", or "Kvinde ukendt" as it is called in Danish, is a 1940s drama about a young maid who is about to be married to her wealthy employer when a man from her hometown shows up and threatens to reveal her darkest secret.
Mathilde Arcel plays the lead role in the painful drama and also received the award for best actress.
This is my first leading role in a film, it's my first time at a film festival and my first time winning a film award, Arcel said, adding:
If this is a dream, I really don't want to wake up.
The second-highest award at the film festival, the Silver Lion, went to South Korean Lee Chang-Dong for the romantic drama "Possible Love".
John Malkovich won the award for best actor for his role as a terminally ill CIA agent in the black comedy "Wild Horse Nine" and the 72-year-old veteran is now an increasingly hot Oscar candidate.
The chair of this year's jury was Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Golden Lion: "Woman Unknown" by May el-Toukhy
Grand Jury Prize: "Possible Love" by Lee Chang-Dong
Best Director: Ilya Khrzhanovsky for "Dau"
Best screenplay: Stéphane Brizé, Coralie Amédéo, Olivier Gorce for "A Good Little Soldier"
Best Actress: Mathilde Arcel in "Woman Unknown"
Best Actor: John Malkovich in "Wild Horse Nine"
Special Jury Prize: “Naza” by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
Honorary Golden Lion: Ellen Burstyn and George Clooney
