The Tale of Silyan
Tamara Kotevska blends Macedonian folklore with social commentary in her appealing documentary about a man and his stork.
Image courtesy of Dogwoof Releasing.
It was in 2019 that the Macedonian director Tamara Kotevska found an international audience with a documentary entitled Honeyland which she made with Ljubomir Stefanov. Now we have another work from her again set in her own country and this time she has the sole directorial credit. I think it quite likely that The Tale of Silyan, which has already won awards in Venice and Chicago, will be even more popular than its predecessor.
In some respects, the new piece is very different from Honeyland since the earlier work concentrated on a woman in her fifties who was devoted to beekeeping. The film had a limited storyline and was largely rooted in her daily existence although it lacked any commentary to explain fully the factors that a beekeeper had to take into account. This new piece again has an ordinary figure at its centre, this time a Macedonian farmer named Nikola Conev living in the northern part of the country in Češinovo but his story, albeit one of everyday life, provides its own involving narrative.
When we first meet him, Nikola’s household extends not only to his wife, Jana, but also to his daughter and her husband and to Nikola’s young granddaughter, Ilina. In the early scenes of the film, we witness their daily lives and the difficulties that build up when Nikola tries to get a fair price for his potatoes and watermelons at the farmers’ market. He then encounters comparable problems at the tobacco buying centre. Other farmers also suffering in this way are entering into protest blockades in the area and in time Nikola and Jana are left alone. That’s because it becomes clear to the younger couple that they are likely to fare better if they move away and when they do so they naturally take young Ilina with them. But it turns out that the cost of daycare for their daughter is using up their savings so Jana agrees to help out even though it means leaving Nikola entirely on his own for the time being. In fact, conditions in Češinovo have become such that after forty-five years as a farmer Nikola is thinking of selling his land and he starts to take on local work as a driver of heavy vehicles.
It is when this employment takes him to a landfill that Nikola encounters a stork with a broken wing and, when a vet claims not to be trained to deal with wild animals, he looks after it in his own house. We have seen that Nikola is not entirely isolated in that he has an old friend living nearby, but in effect his involvement with the stork builds up a bond which becomes a central feature of his life. This charming relationship becomes a key factor in the film’s appeal but other issues add to our concern: will Nikola really sell the land that has meant so much to him and will Jana soon return to Češinovo?
One unusual element to be found in Tamara Kotevska's film is the decision to thread through it a tale that is part of 17th century mythology in this part of the world – indeed it is this aspect which gives the film its title. From the outset there has been a stress on this region being noted for the white storks seen in huge numbers and the legend told in voice-over is linked to that. It concerns a father whose son, Silyan, chooses to leave and make a fresh life for himself. This provokes such extreme disapproval from his father that he curses his son who turns into a stork. Due to the fact that storks can only make a clacking sound Silyan is unable to explain to his father subsequently that he now wants to be reconciled. Obviously this old tale is very different in nature from the one unfolding around Nikola but there are just enough similarities for it to carry an echo of it. Wisely The Tale of Silyan recognises the need for balance: the old legend is indeed told step-by-step at intervals throughout the entire film but it is never allowed to take up too much time or to impede the narrative about Nikola who himself emerges as an engaging central figure.
To make this a full review I need to explain why my own taste is such that I had one not insignificant reservation about this film in spite of its qualities. That explanation is contained in the next paragraph and, if you are strongly drawn to seeing The Tale of Silyan by what I have already said, you may prefer not to read on in case my own reaction should distract you from your own appreciation of the film.
While I fully recognise the immense appeal of this film, its style is one that I don't really embrace. Those who do so might well reward the film with a five-star rating because it is wholly consistent in its mode, benefits from superb wide screen photography by Jean Dakar and has the in-built attraction of featuring numerous white storks and, of course, one in particular. My reservation comes from the fact that, although this is a documentary involving real people, Tamara Kotevska chooses to direct it in exactly the same way as would be done if this were a fictional story with actors. The camera work (including the use of varied angles), the presence of a music score and the editing which moves the narrative forward all smack to me of something set up for filming. On its own terms I admire the film which is carried out with assurance, but often I can't throw off my impression of artifice. I do indeed suspect that this is a minority view and it did not prevent me from enjoying the film. Indeed, if you don't share my feeling on this score, the chances are that you will find that The Tale of Silyan is a film that you will positively love.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Featuring Nikola Conev, Jana Coneva, Aleksandra Coneva, Ilina Coneva, Aleksander Conev, Stojco Filipov, Ilija Stojkovski.
Dir Tamara Kotevska, Pro Tamara Kotevska, Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi and Jordanco Petrovski, Story by Tamara Kotevska in consultation with Suz Curtis, Ph Jean Dakar, Ed Martin Ivanov, Music Joe Wilson Davies and HunOuk Park.
Ciconia Film/Concordia Studio/The Corner Shop-Dogwoof Releasing.
81 mins. North Macedonia/USA. 2025. US Rel: 28 November 2025. UK Rel: 12 December 2025. Cert. PG.
