From visionary filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, a Centuries-spanning epic about How we are connected to the world around us .

•

Silent Friend

Book Tickets

No upcoming sessions

Synopsis

Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Léa Seydoux star in the wondrous latest from Ildikó Enyedi (On Body and Soul, Sydney Film Prize 2017), following three era-spanning stories connected by a tree.

Exploring the deep connections between humans and nature, SILENT FRIEND centres on a centuries-old Gingko tree planted within the grounds of a German university across 3 distinct time periods; 1908, 1972 and 2020. In 2020, a neuroscientist from Hong Kong (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), exploring the mind of babies, begins an unexpected experiment with the old tree. 1972, a young student (Enzo Brumm) is profoundly changed by the simple act of observing and connecting with a geranium. 1908, the university’s first female student (Luna Wedler) discovers, through the lens of photography, sacred patterns of the universe hidden within the humblest of plants.

Director Ildikó Enyedi's profound and emotive SILENT FRIEND is a visually stunning drama about the quiet, enduring, and mysterious power of nature.

Some German and Cantonese language, English subtitles.

Season starts July 2 at Luna Leederville.

Opening Date

Thursday, Jul 2, 2026

Rating

CTC

Length

147m

Genre

New Release

Reviews

Leung doesn’t need to prove anything, but he proves everything anyway … This is less a performance than a presence: a study in silence, longing, and grace. With barely a handful of lines, roaming around the pandemic-emptied university halls, Leung communicates galaxies.

IndieWire

Marvelous … In its subtle, beseeching exploration of the connection between the human world and less understood dimensions, this Venice competition standout feels like a spiritual extension of Enyedi’s On Body and Soul.

Variety