Silent Friend

On the grounds of a medieval German university town looms an imposing Ginkgo biloba, a tree whose longevity stands in marked contrast to three intimate, human-scaled stories. In 1908, the university’s first female student gains admission into the prestigious botany department, confronting the sexism of both professors and peers. In 1972, amidst counterculture movements, a reserved student finds his attention captured by a fellow housemate and the geranium plant she studies. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a neuroscientist from Hong Kong secures the help of a renowned botanist for an experiment on the old ginkgo tree.

Director: Ildikó Enyedi

Cast

Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Tony Wong

Léa Seydoux

Alice

Luna Wedler

Grete

Enzo Brumm

Hannes

Sylvester Groth

Anton

Yun Huang

Jule

Luca Valentini

Francesco

Marlene Burow

Gundula