The Tale of Silyan

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The Tale of Silyan

PG

2025

1h 21m

Documentary

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Tamara Kotevska tells the story a white stork, Silyan, and a Macedonian farmer, Nikola. Their lives intertwine when Nikola, abandoned by his family, saves the injured bird from a landfill. As Nikola and Silyan form a bond, they find solace and companionship in each other's solitude.

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Critics Consensus

A tender and inventive docu-fable, The Tale of Silyan blends myth and reality to capture the human-avian connection with poetic subtlety, emotional depth, and quiet, unforgettable charm.

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Alissa Simon

Variety

Feb 4

A lyrical and gorgeously lensed documentary hybrid that explores the interconnection between humans, animals and nature.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

Dec 31

A lovely, lyrical film... The images are just so striking.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Dec 12

4/5

Fabulous visual gags abound.

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Vladan Petkovic

Cineuropa

Apr 17

The smoothly arranged sequence of events, in which every action has an immediate and direct consequence, combined with expositional dialogues, gives us all the answers, while the pairing of Nikola’s story with the folktale checks way too many boxes.

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Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

Jan 16

Its charming story of coexistence and blue-collar resilience resonates across geographic boundaries.

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Jose Solís

Common Sense Media

Jan 13

4/5

This documentary has the kind of quiet power that makes you wonder how something this intimate was even possible to capture on camera.

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Kiran C

@kirancroesje Apr 16

Absolutely horrible. It’s so boring. Lost my attention in under 5 minutes. Dragged the story, not to the point.

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Aisha R

@AishaSky Jan 21

One of the most poetic, visually stunning and moving documentaries i have ever seen. Don't be fooled by it's understated narrative, the film is deeply layered in meaning, environmental and societal relevance and compassion.

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Thoki T

@Thokozani Jan 10

Best movie of the year no joke. It’s a masterpiece ✨

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Nov 29

Real footage in 01 hour and 21 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All ages admitted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tamara Kotevska

Director

Aleksandar Conev

Self

Nikola Conev

Self

Aleksandra Coneva

Self

Ilina Coneva

Self

Jana Coneva

Self

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Synopsis

Tamara Kotevska tells the story a white stork, Silyan, and a Macedonian farmer, Nikola. Their lives intertwine when Nikola, abandoned by his family, saves the injured bird from a landfill. As Nikola and Silyan form a bond, they find solace and companionship in each other's solitude.

Director: Tamara Kotevska
Producer: Anna Hashmi, Tamara Kotevska, Jean Dakar, Jordanco Petkovski
Distributor: Picturehouse
Production Co: Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop, Ciconia Film
Rating: PG
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Original Language: Macedonian
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 28, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.0K
Runtime: 1h 21m