The Tale of Silyan

Drawing inspiration from a Macedonian folktale about a boy who becomes a stork after arguing with his father, this documentary explores the bond between a man and a bird. Nikola, a struggling farmer whose family has moved abroad, finds employment at a landfill. There, he discovers a wounded white stork named Silyan. As Nikola nurses the bird back to health, the two form an unexpected connection that alters their lives.

The film was written and directed by Tamara Kotevska, following her 2019 work Honeyland. It is a joint production between Macedonia and the United States, involving companies such as National Geographic Documentary Films and Concordia Studio. The cast features Nikola Conev and several members of the Conev family appearing as themselves.

The movie has been generally well received by viewers. On IMDb, it holds a rating of 7.5/10 based on 809 votes, while on TMDB it has a score of 7.1/10 from 15 votes.