SILENT FRIEND
SYNOPSIS
In the heart of a botanical garden in a medieval university town in Germany stands a majestic ginkgo tree. This silent witness has observed over a century the quiet rhythms of transformation across three human lives.
2020, a neuroscientist from Hong Kong, exploring the mind of babies, begins an unexpected experiment with the old tree.
1972, a young student is profoundly changed by the simple act of observing and connecting with a geranium.
1908, the university’s first female student discovers, through the lens of photography, sacred patterns of the universe hidden within the humblest of plants.
We follow their clumsy, awkward attempts to connect - each one of them deeply rooted in their own present - as they are transformed by the quiet, enduring, and mysterious power of nature.
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The ancient ginkgo tree brings us closer to what it means to be human - to our longing to belong.
DIRECTOR | Ildikó Enyedi |
YEAR | 2025 |
STATUS | post-production |
FESTIVALS AWARDS | Venice Competition 2025 Toronto Special Presentations 2025 |
CAST | Tony Leung Chiu-wai Luna Wedler Enzo Brumm Sylvester Groth Martin Wuttke Johannes Hegemann Rainer Bock Marlene Burow and Léa Seydoux |
CO PRODUCTION WITH | Pandora Film (Germany) Galatée Films (France) Inforg - M&M Film (Hungary) Radiance Films (China) in co-production with Arte France Cinéma ZDF/ Arte |
SUPPORTED BY | National Film Institute Hungary DFFF Film- und Medienstiftung NRW BKM Hessen Film & Medien Filmförderungsanstalt Eurimages Centre national du cinema et de l’image animée Moin Filmförderung MEDIA Programme of the European Union among many others |
WORLD SALES | Films Boutique |
GERMAN DISTRIBUTOR | Pandora Film Verleih |
LENGTH | 147 min. |
FORMAT | 2K DCP 1:2.39 scope colour (mixed media with 35mm s/w 16mm colour) 5.1. sound |
SHOOTING LOCATION | Germany Hungary France Hongkong |
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE | German with English |
PRODUCERS | produced by: Reinhard Brundig Producers: Monika Mécs Nicolas Elghozi Meng Xie Morgane Olivier |
WRITERS | Ildikó Enyedi |
CASTING | Nina Haun |
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY | Gergely Pálos |
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT | Orsi Kmetty Stefaan Schieder Rudi Teichmann |
EDITING | Károly Szalai |
MUSIC | Gábor Keresztes Kristóf Kelemen |
SOUND | Michael Schlömer |
ART DIRECTION | Imola Láng |
COSTUMES | Peri De Braganca |
MAKE UP HAIR | Aurélie Cerveau |
SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE | n/s |
DVD VIDEO AVAILABLE | n/s |
LINKS | n/s |