Silent Friend is a hard film to sum up. The film, written and directed by Ildiko Enyedi takes place within three different time periods namely 1908, 1972 and 2020. The film is concerned about the way nature connects with humanity and the way we are intrinsically connected with plants, and how humanity is in many ways similar.

The film is primarily set within a German university and features a tree that has existed for generations and depicts the tree as sentient, silently observing and watching humanity. The film is dense, but the dream like nature I found soothing and moving. Anchored by a strong Tony Leung performance playing the role of a botanist, the film hooks you in their quest to uncover more about plants, nature and the ways in which they are similar. 

The 2020 section of the film deals with technology and how we use it to communicate, and how plants have a digital network of their own. This setting is where a majority of the film takes place and while the plot can become a bit hard to follow, I feel that is the point. 

Inspiring dream like visuals take you on the quest of what it’s like to find yourself lost within your work. Macrophotography DEG plants like a digital network, close-ups on humanity trying to figure out their place; an eerie atmospheric score that pulsates the films dream like atmosphere, some films you experience, but Silent Friend is something you feel.

Film is primarily a visual medium, but that aspect feels largely forgot as films employ more and more exposition. Well, this film has expository dialogue, every element of the story is powered through the visuals first and creates an engaging experience for audience members as they are fully emersed within the film.

At the core of it, Silent Friend is about the relationship between humanity and our planet and what our role in it is. The film demonstrates this quest for knowledge as a scientific discovery on how plants can feel just like we do and how their growth if often effected by the world around them. The same case can be said of humans and how a positive and nurturing environment can impact an individual differently than a harsh and inhospitable environment. Making this parallel makes it clear what the film’s point is. A community only works if everything works in perfect harmony.

Silent Friend is a visually arresting film that connects humanity with nature in funny and dramatic ways, and helps establish an empathic relationship towards the planet we occupy and the organisms we live with. While it may not be a film one can easily define, it is a film worth seeing because of what it says about humanity and our connection to nature. Our planet is a fragile place and so are we, we should take care of each other.

Watch the trailer right here.

All images via 1-2 Special.

Directed by Ildikó Enyedi
Screenplay by Ildikó Enyedi
Produced by Reinhard Brundig, Nicolas Elghozi, Mónika Mécs, Meng Xie
Starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm, Yun Huang, Sylvester Groth, Martin Wuttke, Johannes Hegemann, Rainer Brock, Léa Seydoux
Premiere Date: September 5, 2025 (Venice)
Running Time: 145 minutes

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