(2025, North Macedonia, 80')
Silyan the Stork is a well-known Macedonian folk tale centered on Silyan, a boy who, after quarreling with his father, is transformed into a white stork as punishment for his disobedience. Repentant, Silyan regains his human form and returns home. Rich in symbolism, the legend explores universal themes such as family, identity, and the relationship between humans and nature, passed down through generations as both a cautionary tale and a reflection on traditional values. Drawing inspiration from this story, the film depicts the bond between a farmer and a white stork in a Macedonia grappling with economic hardship, which has forced many rural inhabitants to emigrate. Following Honeyland (2019), a documentary on beekeeping in rural Macedonia, Tamara Kotevska returns to portray her homeland with remarkable care and tender sensitivity.
Born in 1993, Tamara Kotevska is a Macedonian director and screenwriter. Hailing from the Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia), she graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje, specializing in documentary filmmaking. She made her international debut with Honeyland (2019), presented at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won three awards. The film also received two Academy Award nominations—for Best Documentary and Best International Feature – becoming the second Macedonian film to earn an Oscar nomination after Milcho Manchevski’s Before the Rain (1994).