Tony Leung competes for Best Actor at 82nd Venice Film Festival with European debut in “Silent Friend”

26th August 2025 – (Venice) The 82nd Venice Film Festival is set to kick off in Italy on August 27th, showcasing a much-anticipated European debut by Tony Leung, the recipient of the prestigious “Venice Lifetime Achievement Award.” Leung stars in the European film “Silent Friend,” where he portrays a Hong Kong neuroscientist, vying for the coveted Best Actor award at the Golden Lion Awards. The upcoming film, shrouded in mystery, unexpectedly revealed a surprising new look with the “Skin Head” style.

In the film “Silent Friend,” directed and written by acclaimed Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, the long-awaited movie stills have been unveiled ahead of the festival opening. Featuring Leung sporting glasses and a Skin Head look, the fresh appearance harks back to his last venture into this style during the filming of “Fallen Angels” in 1998.

This marks Leung’s inaugural foray into European cinema, portraying the renowned Hong Kong neuroscientist Professor Tony Wong. An erudite scholar brimming with passion for establishing connections between humanity and nature, Tony, driven by radical theories, seeks guidance from the world-renowned botanist Dr. Alice Sauvage, portrayed by French actress Léa Seydoux, leading to a collision of knowledge and emotions.