The Tale of Silyan

From Oscar-nominee Tamara Kotevska (Honeyland), this is a poetic, curious and enchanting non-fiction fable about a farmer’s son who turns into a stork. Well, maybe “non-fiction” is a stretch, but Kotevska deftly weaves together folklore, observational film techniques, and a sobering study of the plight of traditional family subsistence farmers in her native Macedonia. One such is Nikola, a genial patriarch whose children are giving up on the old ways to seek a better life in western European cities — he can scarcely blame them. Small farms can’t compete. Only the old folks — and the stork colonies — remain. When one stork injures a wing, Nikola takes care of it almost as if it were his own son.

Achingly beautiful… an excellent documentary that also happens to be a ravishing work of poetry […] The work of a filmmaker capable of shattering categories and inventing new forms.

A-, Cristian Blauvelt, IndieWire

A marvel of symbiotic artistry… Kotevska transforms an observational documentary into an enchanting experience of love and healing, and ultimately, an emblem of resilience.

Barbara Gowlowski, POV magazine

An absolute charmer, The Tale of Silyan is an affecting look at the human-avian bond, with all its mysteries, warmth and ungainly practicalities.

Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter