Silent Friend

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Northern Arizona premiere of “Silent Friend” showing July 10-16 at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres.

A ginkgo tree bears witness to the lives of three generations of people, as they are quietly transformed by the mysterious power of nature.

At the heart of a German university grows a majestic ginkgo tree, its lifespan measured in centuries. As the years pass, the distinguished plant bears witness to the private lives of those who seek shade under its boundless branches, forming a nexus that connects three generations of students and teachers across time and space.

In 2020, a visiting neuroscientist conducts a series of experiments into the possibilities of botanical consciousness. In 1972, a young student is profoundly changed by studying the behavior of a simple geranium. And in 1908, the university’s first female student’s photographic inquiries reveal sacred patterns of the universe hidden within the humblest of plants. Over time, each is transformed by the quiet, enduring, and mysterious power of nature.

From Ildikó Enyedi, the director of Academy Award-nominated “On Body and Soul”, comes “Silent Friend”, an epic, awe-inspiring exploration of the natural world. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Tony Leung, Léa Seydoux and Venice Prize-winning newcomer Luna Wedler, Enyedi crafts a thoughtful meditation on the essential question of what it means to be human.

“Silent Friend” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres July 10-16. Showtimes will be Friday, July 10 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday, July 11, 14 and 15 at 4:00 p.m.; Sunday and Monday, July 12 and 13 at 6:30 p.m.; and Thursday, July 16 at 12:30 p.m.

Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona.