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. ///// The ancient ginkgo tree brings us closer to what it means to be human - to our longing to belong.

DIRECTORIldikó Enyedi
YEAR2025
STATUSpost-production
FESTIVALS AWARDSVenice Competition 2025
Toronto Special Presentations 2025

 
CASTTony Leung Chiu-wai
Luna Wedler
Enzo Brumm
Sylvester Groth
Martin Wuttke
Johannes Hegemann
Rainer Bock
Marlene Burow
and Léa Seydoux

 
CO PRODUCTION WITHPandora Film (Germany)
Galatée Films (France)
Inforg - M&M Film (Hungary)
Radiance Films (China)
in co-production with
Arte France Cinéma
ZDF/ Arte
SUPPORTED BYNational 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 SALESFilms Boutique
GERMAN DISTRIBUTORPandora Film Verleih

 
LENGTH147 min.
FORMAT2K DCP
1:2.39 scope
colour (mixed media with 35mm s/w
16mm colour)
5.1. sound
SHOOTING LOCATIONGermany
Hungary
France
Hongkong
ORIGINAL LANGUAGEGerman with English

 
PRODUCERSproduced by:
Reinhard Brundig
Producers:
Monika Mécs
Nicolas Elghozi
Meng Xie
Morgane Olivier
WRITERSIldikó Enyedi
CASTINGNina Haun
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHYGergely Pálos
PRODUCTION MANAGEMENTOrsi Kmetty
Stefaan Schieder
Rudi Teichmann
EDITINGKároly Szalai
MUSICGábor Keresztes
Kristóf Kelemen
SOUNDMichael Schlömer
ART DIRECTIONImola Láng
COSTUMESPeri De Braganca
MAKE UP HAIRAurélie Cerveau

 
SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLEn/s
DVD VIDEO AVAILABLEn/s
LINKSn/s