Silent Friend

The Brief

One of last year’s most original films, Silent Friend by Ildikó Enyedi, is a beautiful and enigmatic reflection on humanity’s relationship with nature. The film weaves together three stories set in the same place – a university and botanical garden in Marburg – in 1908, 1972, and during the pandemic. We meet a young woman fighting to become the university’s first female student, a shy man who develops feelings through plants, and a solitary researcher who begins exploring the inner life of an ancient tree. Told with warmth, humor, and a distinctive visual style, this is a poetic and sensorial film experience that truly stands out – and is best experienced on the big screen.