In Marburg’s Old Botanical Garden, an ancient ginkgo tree anchors three lives across a century. In 1908, Grete, the university’s first biology student, turns to plant photography. In 1972, Hannes is changed by close observation. In 2020, a visiting neuroscientist experiments with the tree.

Léa Seydoux and Tony Leung Chiu Wai bring dignified serenity to this ambitiously branching drama of twined human and nonhuman lives. Forgoing the urgency of climate-change documentaries for the calm of a botanist’s attention, this poetic film collected six awards at the Venice Film Festival.