Enyedi's film tells the story of three lonely people who meet a ginkgo tree in the middle of a university botanical garden at three different times. The tree witnesses the lives of those around it and the changes in human life over more than a century. The film's three main characters are Greta (Luna Wedler - Mastroianni award winner in Venice for her performance), the university's first female student; Hannes (Enzo Brumm), a student trying to find his place during the 1970s student movements; and Tony (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), a middle-aged brain researcher who is stuck on campus in 2020. They all try to establish a connection with plants using science to find a common language with them.
During the first screening in Sellye, Hungary, Enyedi said, "This evening is special because it’s rare to be able to return to the 'scene of the crime' in this way. We spent 14-16 hours a day here and we were excited every single day of filming. Now that we are back, our hearts are pounding." In connection with the theme of Silent Friend, Andrea Görcz gave an audio-reactive presentation before the screening. She placed sensors on a geranium and some ginkgo leaves. As part of the interactive presentation, the audience helped convert the plant’s electrical signals into sounds. By connecting the plants' water network, visitors could activate the sounds through touch, using the conductivity of living organisms. Analog photographer Viktor Bera took large-format black-and-white portraits of the tree and its exclusive guests, referring a scene from the film set in 1908. After the screening, Alinda Veiszer led a Q&A session with Ildikó Enyedi.
Enyedi’s choice of the ginkgo biloba as the protagonist of her film was no coincidence. Ginkgo’s close relatives were already present on the Earth 270 million years ago. Its reproduction is very complex; therefore, later developed plants, that reproduce more easily took over its habitat. Consequently, ginkgos might be called the loneliest species in a botanical garden because they are surrounded by plants that almost drove them to extinction. The ginkgo biloba owes its survival to humans, as a few specimens survived in China and in Japan, and Europeans spread them as ornamental plants throughout the world in the 18th century.
The screening in Sellye was an unconventional start to a movie’s domestic campaign. The village, which has a population of 3,000, is located in one of the poorest regions of Hungary. The closest cinema is nearly an hour away by car. "This film changes the way we see the plants around us and even how we see ourselves,” said Gábor Böszörményi, managing director of Mozinet. “After watching the film, I knew we had to organize a screening for the tree that plays such an important role in it. It deserves to be part of the premiere celebration, and also: ginkgos live for thousands of years. This tree may preserve the memory of this magical night long after we are gone."
Silent Friend will open in the Hungarian cinemas on January 29, 2026. Several other prescreenings will be held throughout the country over the next four months.
Video from the event: https://youtu.be/6Bm7q-awPEE
