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Set in the botanical garden of a medieval town in Germany. Three epochs, three personalities, three sometimes clumsy but sincere attempts to free themselves and to create links with the plants and the world of the garden. An encounter. (NR, 147 min.)
(TBD)
At the heart of a German university grows a majestic ginkgo tree, its lifespan measured in centuries. As the years pass, the distinguished plant bears witness to the private lives of those who seek shade under its boundless branches, forming a nexus that connects three generations of students and teachers across time and space. In 2020, a visiting neuroscientist conducts a series of experiments into the possibilities of botanical consciousness. In 1972, a young student is profoundly changed by studying the behavior of a simple geranium. And in 1908, the university’s first female student’s photographic inquiries reveal sacred patterns of the universe hidden within the humblest of plants. Over time, each is transformed by the quiet, enduring, and mysterious power of nature.
From Ildikó Enyedi, the director of Academy Award-nominated On Body and Soul, comes Silent Friend, an epic, awe-inspiring exploration of the natural world. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Tony Leung, Léa Seydoux and Venice Prize-winning newcomer Luna Wedler, Enyedi crafts a thoughtful meditation on the essential question of what it means to be human. [1-2 Special]
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm, Léa Seydoux
Director: Ildikó Enyedi
Language: German, English, Cantonese
Genre: Drama, Biography, History
"It’s an unforgettable film."
— Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture
"There’s much to admire and to revel in up onscreen."
— Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News
"Tony Leung Again Proves Why He’s One of the Greats"
— Leila Latif, IndieWire
"A thought-provoking, quietly moving and poetic film with shades of Carlos Reygadas."
— Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
"It’s a true original, one of those cinematic events that, once seen, will not be easily forgotten."
— Peter Sobczynski, RogerEbert.com
"This visually stunning triptych is a cumulatively profound glimpse into the relationship between humans and nature."
— Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue
"It’s one of the most dreamily affectionate (and affectionately critical) portrayals of the natural sciences ever committed to the screen."
— Eli Friedberg, Slant Magazine
"Silent Friend is a testament to film-making’s art, transcending language and cultural boundaries. A film that touches hearts and minds."
— Rita Di Santo, Morning Star (UK)
"Silent Friend is a film not of environmentalist pleading but of ecological profundity. It gets under our skin by making us ponder the spirit beneath the bark."
— Zachary Barnes, Wall Street Journal
"As you exit the theatre and walk on the first grass you find, you’ll notice yourself smiling as your senses finally embrace everything you never knew existed."
— Mina Takla, AwardsWatch
"It’s a beautifully realised, gently teasing film, full of striking images and a mesmerising turn from Leung, that you ultimately understand is about the power of friendship and collaboration."
— Helen Hawkins, The Arts Desk
"With an outlook disarmingly poised between the dreamy and the matter-of-fact, it presents a different way of seeing, and indeed feeling, the world around us, and merely invites its audience to follow along."
— Guy Lodge, Variety
"Enyedi is a master stylist who knows how to create a certain mood, mixing visual poetry with deadpan humor, and big ideas with quotidian foibles, in a film that explores our mysterious relationship with both the green world and one another."
— Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter
"Enyedi gripping drama, beautifully and inventively shot by cinematographer Gergely Pálos, tells audiences how important it is to slow down, connect and comprehend, especially when another party does not seem to be readily communicable."
— Alice Shih, Original Cin
"Friend is a sublime experience, composed of incredibly beautiful imagery and thought-provoking ideas that will linger long after its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. Most films tell a story. Enyedi presents a new way of looking at the world."
— Brian Eggert, Deep Focus Review
