Silent Friend

In the heart of a botanical garden stands a very old and majestic ginkgo tree. For over a century, this silent witness has observed the changes in our relationship with plants: in 1908, the first young woman admitted to university discovered the hidden world within the humblest of plants; in 1972, a student became passionate about communicating with a flower; in 2020, a Hong Kong neuroscientist embarked on an unexpected experiment with the old tree. Solitary and original attempts to connect with silent and elusive nature always result in a profound and intimate upheaval.

 
A true sensory experience and organic reflection on the invisible bonds that unite humans and nature, Silent Friend unfolds with great narrative and visual scope.
 
Like its main character, the ginkgo tree, this film is grandiose, clear and complex. Through this fresco that transcends time, Ildikò Enyedi manages to create a veritable tree of life and photography: from 35mm to digital, her camera winds its way through the passing of time and light, inviting us to put down roots and meet a friend for eternity.

The screening on Sunday 18 at 11 a.m. will be followed by a Q&A session with the exceptional actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

Rightholder: yb@filmcoopi.ch