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CulturePublished: 22 September 2026 at 01:48

Film shot in Latvia, "The Unknown Woman," triumphs at Venice Film Festival

Danish director Maja el-Tuhi's film "The Unknown Woman," shot in Latvia, won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, while its lead actress Matilde Arsela received the Volpi Cup for best actress performance.

Foto: Apollo.lv

At the Venice Film Festival, one of the world's most prestigious cinema events, the top prize went to "The Unknown Woman," a film shot in Latvia. The film's director is Danish filmmaker Maja el-Tuhi.

Special recognition also went to the actress who played the film's lead role, Danish actress Matilde Arsela, who was honored with the Volpi Cup — the award given for the year's best actress performance.

A difficult road to recognition

After receiving the award, Arsela reflected on her professional journey, revealing that success did not come easily. The actress shared that before the international acclaim and job offers now arriving from around the world, she had gone through harder times, including a period when she received unemployment benefits.

This contrast — from a period of unemployment to one of the highest honors in the film world — highlights how unpredictable a career in the creative industry can be.

The film's success in Venice also draws international attention to Latvia as a filming location, where this international project was shot.

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