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Ildikó Enyedi’s ‘Silent Friend’ Opens in German Cinemas Jan. 15

Critics praise the meditative three-era story told from a Marburg ginkgo’s viewpoint.

Overview

  • Written and directed by Ildikó Enyedi, the 147-minute GermanyFranceHungary co-production reaches theaters nationwide on January 15.
  • The film centers on a female Ginkgo biloba in the University of Marburg’s botanical garden, which serves as a silent observer across interlinked timelines.
  • Three episodes unfold in 1908, 1972, and 2020, following a trailblazing biology student, a tentative student caretaker of a wired geranium, and a visiting neuroscientist from Hong Kong.
  • Enyedi differentiates each era through distinct formats: disciplined 35mm black-and-white for 1908, grainy 16mm color for 1972, and contemporary HD for 2020.
  • The cast includes Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm, Marlene Burow, Martin Wuttke, and Léa Seydoux, with Wedler recognized in Venice as a notable emerging talent.