Nat Geo’s Secret Weapon? ‘The Tale of Silyan’ Shakes Up Oscars After Venice Win—Is This the Underdog Doc That’ll Outshine All the Stars?
Added on September 22, 2025 inMovie News Cards
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Ever wondered if a wounded stork and a humble farmer could stir up enough magic to snag a top prize at the Venice Film Festival—and maybe even a shot at the Oscars? Well, “The Tale of Silyan” does just that, fluttering its way into hearts worldwide with a story as ancient as the mythical white stork itself. Directed by the brilliant Tamara Kotevska, this documentary isn’t just about a bird—it’s a poetic dance between nature’s fragile beauty and the tough realities of modern life, all wrapped in a visual feast that’s hitting every right note. And with National Geographic Documentary Films scooping it up for a global rollout, including theaters and Disney+, this tale is about to soar even higher. Now, here’s a cosmic twist: with Virgo season encouraging us to nurture and care, isn’t it fitting that a story about healing—between a man, a bird, and the land—takes flight just as the stars nudge us toward compassion? Talk about cinematic serendipity! LEARN MORE
The Tale of Silyan, a documentary about a wounded stork and the farmer who cares for it, which won the best film Cinema and Arts Award at the Venice Film Festival, played at the Toronto International Film Festival and was subsequently entered by North Macedonia in the best international feature Oscar competition, has been acquired by National Geographic Documentary Films, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The doc, which was directed by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tamara Kotevska (Honeyland) and counts Laurene Powell Jobs and Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim among its executive producers, was made in collaboration with Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop and Ciconia Film. Through a deal negotiated by UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers, Nat Geo acquired the film’s worldwide rights, and will continue to roll it out at film festivals around the world before releasing it in theaters and then on Disney+ later this year.
The Tale of Silyan, which is currently at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, will be the distributor’s top priority in the best documentary feature Oscar race. “The Tale of Silyan offers an irresistible blend of poetic storytelling, visual splendor, and emotional urgency,” Carolyn Bernstein, Nat Geo’s EVP of Documentary Films, said in a statement. “It is also a testament to the healing power of the natural world as seen through the unlikely friendship between a Macedonian farmer and a white stork. We are big admirers of Tamara’s double Oscar-nominated documentary Honeyland and are so happy to be working with this uniquely talented and empathic filmmaker on her beautiful new film.”
Added Kotevska: “The white stork is a mythical creature in my home country of North Macedonia, so I’m thrilled to partner with National Geographic Documentary Films to be able to share an ancient tale from my childhood about these majestic birds with audiences at festivals, in cinemas and at home. I have devoted my life as a filmmaker to two topics: migration and nature conservation. This film marries the two, as modern macro economics lead people to abandon fertile lands in search of work in urban cities, depleting the white storks’ natural food supply as farms become landfills. It is a stark warning about the direction we are heading.”
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