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Plants and People: A Century of Silent Connection
4 Mar
Summary
- Film explores human connection with plants through three interwoven stories.
- Tony Leung stars in his first European film, focusing on plant communication.
- The narrative spans over a century, from 1908 to 2020.
Ildikó Enyedi's "Silent Friend", a film premiering in May 2026, investigates the complex relationship between humans and plants. The movie unfolds as a triptych, examining attempts at communication that transcend verbal language.
Set across different eras, the film opens in 1908 with Grete, a student facing misogyny who finds patterns of life in plants through photography. In 1972, a young man named Hannes discovers a revelation through his connection with a geranium. The third narrative follows Tony, a neuroscientist played by Tony Leung, who experiments with botany during the 2020 COVID lockdown.
Tony Leung, known for "In the Mood for Love," makes his debut in a European film within this project. "Silent Friend" had its premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival and later screened at Toronto, receiving positive reviews. The film will be showcased at Film at Lincoln Center, which will also feature a retrospective of Leung's collaborations with notable directors.
