The film, directed by Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy, is a psychological drama filmed primarily in Latvia. Of its 28 shooting days, 25 took place in Riga, with Estonia's Nafta Films among the co-producers. It was also the only film in competition solely directed by a woman, bringing a double meaning to the movie title and themes it explored.

In an emotional acceptance speech, el-Toukhy addressed the shortage of female directors — an issue jury president and Hollywood actor Maggie Gyllenhaal had raised on the festival's opening day, describing it as a systemic issue and noting that women often find it harder to secure financing for their films than do men. Gyllehnaal was also full of praise for the movie itself, calling it a "laser beam," Variety.com reported.

El-Toukhy thanked the jury for the honour, and Gyllenhaal in particular for using her voice to draw attention to the unequal opportunities facing female filmmakers. She said making the film had been extremely difficult financially, logistically and emotionally, but that she had been driven by an urgent need to bring the unknown women of shared history into the light and make them known. She said she felt she had succeeded in doing just that.

Earlier in the evening, the film's star, Danish actor Mathilde Arcel, won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She said it was her first leading role in a film, her first time at a film festival and the first time she had won a film award, and that she felt deeply honored and fortunate to experience it in Venice among people she considered some of the greatest filmmakers and actors in the world.

Of other award recipients, John Malkovich won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role as an eccentric CIA agent in "Wild Horse Nine." He said he was deeply humbled to receive an award given to so many great actors over the festival's 83 editions, and thanked writer-director Martin McDonagh and co-star Sam Rockwell.

The Grand Jury Prize went to Lee Chang-dong's "Possible Love," South Korea's Oscar submission. The Silver Lion for Best Director went to Russian dissident Ilya Khrzhanovsky for "DAU," which he dedicated to Ukrainians. The Special Jury Prize went to "Naza," a documentary on the Gaza conflict by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.

"Woman Unknown" is set in Denmark at the end of the Second World War. Its story centres on Marie, a young nanny and housekeeper preparing to marry her wealthy employer, an older widower. A secret from her past — an intimate relationship with a German soldier during the Nazi occupation — threatens her new life.

Esko Rips, CEO of Nafta Films and a co-producer, previously said the film's selection was recognition of the Estonian company's three years of work, noting the production was a truly pan-Baltic states affair.

The Danish-Swedish-Latvian-Estonian co-production was locally managed by Nafta Films' Latvian team, with co-producers including Rips and Latvia's Madara Kalniņa.

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