FREE SCREENING PRESENTED AS PART OF ANU COMMUNITY DAY CELEBRATING THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY. FIND OUT MORE AT ANU.EDU.AU/80

After a decade-long war and the devastating fall of Troy, King Odysseus (Matt Damon) sets sail across treacherous seas to return home to his kingdom of Ithaca. Plagued by wrathful gods, the cunning Greek king and his brave crew encounter terrifying mythical monsters and obstacles. Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, his faithful wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and growing son Telemachus (Tom Holland) fight off ruthless suitors vying for the throne.

Visionary director Christopher Nolan brings Homer’s timeless ancient Greek epic to the big screen in a breathtaking cinematic spectacle. Reunited with Academy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, Nolan made cinematic history by shooting the entire production using specially engineered IMAX 70mm cameras in various real-life locations around the globe. Featuring an ensemble cast that also includes Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Lupita Nyong'o, Jon Bernthal and Zendaya, The Odyssey is a mythic blockbuster of the highest order.

Centred around a majestic, centuries-old ginkgo tree standing inside a German university garden, this multi-era drama weaves together three distinct personal journeys.

In 1908, a pioneering young woman named Grete (Luna Wedler) battles sexism to study botany. Decades later in 1972, a lonely student finds quiet solace in nature amidst social upheaval. Finally, in 2020, a visiting neurologist named Dr Wong (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) arrives to conduct brain research, only for pandemic lockdowns to stall his work. Isolated from the world, each character forms a deep, unspoken connection with the resilient tree, transcending time through nature.

Hungarian auteur Ildikó Enyedi writes and directs this atmospheric international co-production, specifically crafting the lead role for legendary Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai. The film won the prestigious FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at the Venice Film Festival.