Docs to Watch
The Tale of Silyan
Nikola, a farmer grappling with the harsh realities of new government policies, finds himself unable to sell his land or crops. When his family leaves in search of a better life abroad, Nikola takes a job as a landfill attendant, where he encounters the injured white stork Silyan. As he nurses the bird back to health, an unlikely bond forms between man and animal. The result is a deeply moving film that touches on climate change, economic migration, resilience and the quiet power of connection. A National Geographic release.
A Q&A with director and producer Tamara Kotevska and producer and cinematographer Jean Dakar immediately follows the screening.
Southeast premiere
2026 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film Official Selection — North Macedonia
Presented in Macedonian with English subtitles.
DIRECTOR
Tamara Kotevska
PRODUCERS
Anna Hasmi
Tamara Kotevska
Jean Dakar
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Tamara Kotevska is a Macedonian filmmaker best known for Honeyland, which became the first documentary to earn Academy Award nominations for both Best International Feature and Best Documentary Feature. Kotevska’s work pushes cinematic boundaries and centers on perception-shifting stories. She is currently in post-production on her debut fiction film Man vs. Flock.