"Woman Unknown" by Danish film director May el-Toukhy's film, has been included in this year's main competition at the Venice International Film Festival, where it will have its world premiere in September. This tense and sophisticated psychological drama, starring young star Mathilde Arcel, is a co-production between the Danish and Swedish film studios Nordisk Film Production and the Latvian film studio Nafta Films.
Published: 25.07.2026.
The film has a significant connection to Latvia – most of it was shot in Riga (25 out of 28 filming days), with production provided in cooperation with Nordisk Film Production by Nafta Films. The film's co-producers are Madara Kalniņa and Esko Rips; many other Latvian film industry professionals have also worked on it, and the film's production in Latvia has been supported by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and the Riga City Council co-financing program Riga Film Fund.
"Working on this film was an exciting and very valuable experience, working together with an outstanding international team. The director's message is relevant beyond a specific place or time, and it is very gratifying that most of this story was created in Riga. Such projects are important for the Latvian film industry – they not only demonstrate our professionals' ability to work at the highest level but also strengthen Latvia's reputation as a reliable and competitive film production partner worldwide. This film is yet another testament that co-productions made in Latvia can reach the world's most prestigious film stages," emphasizes Madara Kalniņa, co-producer of the film.
At the center of the film is a young nanny and housekeeper, Marija, who is preparing to marry the landlord – the wealthy widow Kristian, who is older than Maria. However, the young woman holds a humiliating secret – during World War II, she had an intimate relationship with a German soldier. Now the past threatens to catch up with Marija, and in the post-war chaos, she is forced to do everything possible to maintain her new status as the housekeeper—like thousands of other women who, in 1945, in the weeks before and immediately after Denmark's liberation, were persecuted and publicly humiliated by their fellow citizens for intimate relations with German soldiers. Alongside Matilde Arsela, the film also features Carsten Bjørnlund, Thorbjørn Hedegaard, Marina Bouras, and others.
The film's production mainly involved the Latvian team and industry professionals, including the film's co-artist Kārlis Utināns, costume designer Jūlija Volkinšteine, Latvia's head of actor and crowd casting Marta Dzene, sound recording director Mārtiņš Rozentāls, lighting designer Aleksandrs Čerkašins, Latvian production manager Agate Prozoroviča, Latvian filming location manager Ingrīda Nagle, script supervisor Anna Bijubena, and photographer Andrejs Strokins.
The co-production creators Nafta Films is a film production company from the Baltic region, operating in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The company employs 30 permanent staff members across all three Baltic states, and the group's annual turnover last year reached approximately 12 million euros. Over the past year, Nafta Films in Latvia has produced two feature films and several international commercialization projects, attracting foreign investments to Latvia. Currently, active work is also underway on the reconstruction of the new feature film by Viesturs Kairišs, which received production funding from the National Film Centre this spring.
The film Unknown Woman was made in cooperation between Nafta Films, Nordisk Film Production Sweden, and Film i Väst; it is supported by the Danish Film Institute, the Council of Europe Eurimages Fund, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, the Riga City Council co-financing program Riga Film Fund, Nordisk Film & TV Fund, DR, the Swedish Film Institute, SVT, TrustNordisk, and Zentropa. Film distribution in the local market is provided by Nordisk Film Distribution, and international sales by TrustNordisk.