A film by Ildikó Enyedi
With: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Léa Seydoux, Luna Wedler, Enzo Brumm, Sylvester Groth, Yun Huang, Luca Valentini, Marlene Burow, Felix Burose
On the grounds of a medieval German university town looms an imposing Ginkgo biloba, a tree whose longevity stands in marked contrast to three intimate, human-scaled stories. In 1908, the university’s first female student gains admission into the prestigious botany department, confronting the sexism of both professors and peers. In 1972, amidst counterculture movements, a reserved student finds his attention captured by a fellow housemate and the geranium plant she studies. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a neuroscientist from Hong Kong secures the help of a renowned botanist for an experiment on the old ginkgo tree.
Our rate: ***
A highly unique, elegant, sensory film that is formally very interesting: carefully crafted staging, remarkable cinematography, and tasteful background music. It tackles a strange subject, approaching it from several angles, starting with a scientific approach but constantly contrasting it with a more sensory, mystical approach, drawing its characters, scientists, into this maelstrom. Ildikó Enyedi also takes the liberty of offering a few feminist reflections and a series of details, each more interesting than the last, about human nature. A very serious contender for the awards.