Filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa won the best director award on Saturday at this year's Venice International Film Festival, becoming the first Japanese director to take the award in 17 years.

"Wife of a Spy" ("Spy no Tsuma") follows the story of a couple in 1940 in the city of Kobe before the outbreak of World War II. A man accidentally stumbles upon a state secret and tries to bring it to light, while his wife takes action to ensure his safety.

Actress Cate Blanchett, who headed the jury, told a news conference that selection of the Silver Lion winner had been a "difficult decision to make" but that the choice of Kurosawa was "undeniable in that final assessment."