Stork's toxic diet mirrors farmers' plight

"The Tale of Silyan," an Oscar-nominated director's latest work, is a gorgeously lensed documentary exploring the intertwined lives of humans, animals, and nature in North Macedonia. The film uses immersive cinematography to weave an ancient North Macedonian fable with the rural country's modern social problems. It highlights how the fate of the nation's white storks parallels that of its agricultural communities.

The project began as research into changes in the national bird's habits. However, a national economic downturn led to farmers abandoning their land. This resulted in fertile fields and streams becoming toxic waste sites, harming the storks that relied on them for food. The documentary focuses on the Conev family, who traditionally farmed in Češinovo, a village known for its large white stork population.

Government policies and market prices severely impacted the farmers' livelihoods, forcing many to sell their land cheaply. As families migrated, including Aleksandra Conev to Germany, the storks also suffered from the polluted environment. Nikola Conev, left behind, took a job at a landfill, observing the storks consuming toxic waste, leading to their deaths.

A bond with a wounded stork reignites Nikola's desire for a balanced life with nature. This relationship mirrors the titular folktale of Silyan, another lonely man and his stork, adding a timeless, magical quality to the film's exploration of ecological and economic disruption.