Ildikó Enyedi is one of the well -known directors of Hungary and won the golden bear of the Berlinale with the romance “body and soul” in 2017. Milán Füt's historical novel “The History of my wife” in her hands in 2021, however, came to a very tough and empty piece of prestige equipment cinema-and so it could first prepare a little for “Silent Friend”, which was the bottom of the Venice Film Festival in the program sequence of official competition. But not only at the end of this enormously rich 145 minutes should have been clear to most people present in the hall that they have seen the very big hit of the filmmaker who has been active for 36 years.
There is little that is more connected than trees. They grow almost everywhere in the world, and in almost every culture they play a symbolic role, stand for the cycle of life itself, for the pursuit of knowledge, for resistance as well as renewal. No wonder that the cinema regularly searches for the possibility of human existence in the crowns and roots of the wooden crops, from Elia Kazan “A tree grows in Brooklyn” to Darren Aronofsky's “The Fountain” to Terrence Malick's Opus “The Tree Of Life”. And so the “silent friend” in the title of the seventh feature film by Elyedi means an old ginkgoba tree, which has been in the center of the old botanical garden of the Philipps University in Marburg for a long time …
A century, three stories
… and around which three stories relax, between each of which are several decades and a total of 112 years. The cinematic present forms the nearby year of 2020: the neuroscientist Tony Wong (the Chinese acting legend Tony Leung, known from “In the Mood for Love” in her first European film), is drawn from Hong Kong to Marburg to teach at the university and to advance his research project on the brain function of babies.
But then the Corona pandemic comes, all students have to go home, and Tony remains with its scientific activities that is skeptical, neither English and certainly no cantonesian caretaker Anton (Sylvester Groth) in the time-honored, ivy-tied university building. Since toddlers are no longer available as research objects, his interest soon focuses on the Gingko Biloba, who is enthroned over the events.
What do geraniums feel?
In 1972, the biology student Gundula (Marlene Burow) and her fellow fellow student Hannes (Enzo Brumm) met in 1972. Her mutual attraction could become love, but Hannes' awkwardness prevents her relationship from becoming more before leaving an excursion abroad.
During her absence, Hannes should take care of her geranium, which is in the focus of an ambitious scientific project: Gundula wants to use a self -made technical construction to prove that plants also have a form of perception, which ultimately forms a basis for the work of Alice (Léa Seydoux), which Tony is on hand on in zoom talks.
Tony Wong (Tony Leung) remains in Marburg alone in the Philipps University in Marburg during the Corona pandemic-and discovers his interest in an old Gingko tree.
And then there is Grete (Luna Wedler), who was the first female student at the University of Marburg in 1908. Initially kept small of the male teaching staff, they too will do pioneering work when they discovered as part of an assistant, as can be documented in plants hidden patterns with the help of the Medium Photography.
The three interpreted episodes borders ENYEDI by giving each of them their very own, time-specific visuality and haptics: the present time is digital, while the 1970s are captured in extremely grainy, tactile 16mm images-and the historical part located at the beginning of the 20th century in contrasting, turned black and white shines. Sometimes the monochrome past is dipped in color in the same picture, then again figures seem to literally look through time when the film jumps with a single counter -cut for a whole century.
A sensual utopia
On paper, “Silent Friend” sounds like a over -designed, esoteric kitsch, even not, Enyedi does not shy away from a metaphysical level – in one place man and plant literally make a connection, the boundaries between time and space are brought to resolution. The result is all the more remarkable. Even though Enyedi alludes the overture to the Wagner opera “Lohengrin” in between-but the piece brings off before it runs the risk of being overwhelmed by her own sublimity-contrary to his epic dimensions, is an amazingly tender, light, lighter film, yes, even in the best sense wholesome – A real antidote on politically, socially and culturally polarized present.
Enyedi lets people (and plants) find a form of understanding across all communicative and even temporal barriers, which also means “Silent Friend” a utopia – but the director never puts on the big message, but trusts her characters and audience. At the same time, it designs a small chronicle of scientific evolution and thus the human urge to discover, which ultimately makes us what we are at least in the best case. A feminist reading also allows the fact that women appear in all episodes in particular as pioneers, but also does not spell Enyedi.
Watch about a geranium
After all, “Silent Friend” also works as a sensual experience. Again and again he even takes the perspective of the tree, hides behind his trunk, slides along the branches or even dives down into the root plant, which is probably not about human and animal nervous systems. You shouldn't confuse this with a clumsy humanization – Enyedi is not concerned with driving out its secret to nature. Instead, the camera curiously explores the colors and structures of the plants, as well as they love the faces of the actors or the wintry alleys of the medieval university city dives in warm light.
One of the numerous miracles of “Silent Friend” is that in the episode playing in the 1970s, we worry about the fate of a geranium placed on the windowsill, which can be frightened by Hannes and literally opens doors. If a film succeeds in creating empathy for a flower – then everything is really possible in it.
Conclusion: “Silent Friend” is a film by monumental dimension, but it still feels easy and natural. A masterpiece that, like no other film, has recently penetrated the core of being human.
We saw “Silent Friend” at the Venice Film Festival 2025, where he celebrated its world premiere as part of the official competition.