Silent Friend

In the garden of Philipps University in Marburg stands an ancient ginkgo tree. As a silent witness, it watches over generations of passersby. In 1908, Grete, the university's first student, aimed her camera at the majestic trunk. In 1972, a lovesick first-year student nurtured a geranium under its branches. In 2020, a lonely neuroscientist in Hong Kong explored the possibilities of communication between humans and nature during the pandemic. 

Silent Friend is the new film by Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi, known for the beautiful and poetic On Body and Soul. With her latest film, she has created a profound scientific epic. In Silent Friend, she weaves these diverse stories together like roots in the earth. The film stars Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love) and Léa Seydoux (La Vie d'Adèle) in the lead roles and premiered at the Venice Film Festival.