Renowned actor Tony Leung recently attended a brand event in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China, where he engaged in post-screening discussions with the audience of the European film “Silent Friend,” known in Taiwan as “Would You Like to Be a Tree.” Humorously addressing some fans who unintentionally fell asleep during the 147-minute long film, Leung displayed high emotional intelligence by admitting that even he often nods off while watching movies, effortlessly diffusing the awkward situation.
On September 20, Tony Leung and his wife Carina Lau made an appearance together at the brand event in Dunhuang, Gansu. They watched Leung’s 147-minute film “Silent Friend.” Before the screening, Leung jokingly remarked three times about the challenging length of the film, and kindly advised the audience to simply immerse themselves in the experience without overthinking. He shared that the film’s unique theme centers around a tree, capturing the activities and emotions of people across three different eras.
“Silent Friend” revolves around an ancient ginkgo tree in a botanical garden in Marburg, Germany, with three storylines set in 1908, 1972, and 2020. The film explores how humans perceive and interact with the natural world, delving into issues of human cognition, scientific exploration, and intergenerational communication.
In the 2020 segment, Leung plays a neuroscientist from Hong Kong who becomes stranded on a campus due to a lockdown during a pandemic, where he attempts to measure the electromagnetic signals of the ginkgo tree. Guided remotely by a French botanist, the experiment gradually evolves into an exploration of the boundaries of human perception.
Following its release in mainland China on April 25th, “Silent Friend” faced lukewarm box office performance but garnered positive word-of-mouth. Despite generating less than 3 million RMB in ticket sales within the first five days, the film received a high rating of 7.9 on Douban, making it the top-rated film of its release period, indicating strong appreciation from art film enthusiasts.
During the post-screening Q&A session in Dunhuang, an audience member confessed to unintentionally falling asleep while watching the film, expressing embarrassment. Leung responded with warmth and reassurance, sharing that he also experiences such moments while watching movies, swiftly easing the awkwardness.
Both media and audiences widely regard “Silent Friend” as a poetic and philosophically profound film. Due to its lengthy duration and emphasis on “listening” rather than “telling,” some viewers accustomed to Hollywood’s fast-paced style may have dozed off, leading to mixed reactions among general audiences.