Review: National Geographic's "The Tale of Silyan" Explores an Honest Look at Life and Our Natural Connection to the World Around Us
National Geographic’s latest documentary The Tale of Silyan explores the unlikely friendship between a man and a stork, highlighting the incredible bonds between humans and animals.
National Geographic is ready to take viewers into the world of a unique relationship between a man and stork in their latest documentary. Directed by Tamara Kotevska, The Tale of Silyan is set in rural North Macedonia and follows Nikola, a farmer whose way of life has been steadily disrupted by economic hardship and environmental strain. As work becomes less sustainable, members of his family leave the country in search of employment, while Nikola remains behind, tied to the land and the routines that have been a mainstay in his life.
To support himself, Nikola takes a job at a local landfill, a setting that becomes part of his daily existence. His days are structured around physical labor and solitude, reflecting the broader reality of depopulation in the region. Without using any type of narration, the film invites viewers into an honest look at his life.
During this time, Nikola discovers an injured white stork and decides to care for it. He names the bird Silyan. As the stork recovers, it becomes part of Nikola’s daily routine, and their coexistence becomes a staple in his daily routines.
The film references a Macedonian folk tale about a boy named Silyan who is transformed into a stork. Weaving the Macedonian tale folklore into the documentary, The Tale of Silyan linking human migration, animal movement, and cultural memory.
The Tale of Silyan presents an incredibly honest and down-to-earth view of real life. Approaching Nikola’s story with curiosity sans sensationalism, the beauty and hardships of his reality shine through with a warmth very few pieces of media are able to capture. His relationship with Silyan feels deeply impactful to his choice to stay behind and stay connected to his heritage. Coming in at about 80 minutes long, The Tale of Silyan plays almost like a long session of watching home movies. While cinematic, the emphasis on the real world sounds, sights, conversations, cultures, and relationships provides an incredibly disarming atmosphere.
A scene I found particularly impactful was Nikola’s visit to the social services office. Looking for work, the social services agent is quick to reason with him, telling him he is too young to retire, yet too old to start a new career. It was disheartening and somewhat heartbreaking to watch Nikola face his financial woes with a sense of loneliness that is hard to replicate in a narrative story.
The Tale of Silyan is a broad and raw exploration of our changing world, the pressure of profit on changing tradition and culture, and our natural and human connection to nature. Going into the story, I expected to find myself more enamored with the unique relationship between Nikola and Silyan, but found myself walking away with a far greater respect for our shared connectedness in experiences and our common goal of prosperity. I think the documentary feels far more suited for an older audience, who will appreciate the bittersweetness of adulthood, but I think families will still have plenty of takeaways to make it worth experiencing together.
The Tale of Silyan is in select theaters now, and will premiere on January 8th on National Geographic. Catch it the next day, streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
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