The Tale of Silyan
National Geographic Documentary Films | Release Date: November 28, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
84
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comCarlos AguilarNov 26, 2025
The Tale of Silyan functions as a dialect between old-world wisdom and modern socioeconomic realities, between the natural realm and the worries of mankind; it’s both spiritual and humanist, about forgiveness and adaptability, and makes a case for holding on to what you’ve always known to fend off the illusion of progress. Read full review
91
IndieWireChristian BlauveltNov 5, 2025
This is a filmmaker capable of glimpsing both an instant — and the eternal. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenNov 5, 2025
An absolute charmer, The Tale of Silyan is an affecting look at the human-avian bond, with all its mysteries, warmth and ungainly practicalities. Read full review
88
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 2, 2026
It’s a beautiful film, equal parts sentimental and bluntly realistic. Like “Honeyland,” what Kotevska is capturing is a vanishing way of it. Read full review
83
The Film StageJared MobarakNov 5, 2025
The documentary proves an inspiring tale of the perseverance of those who refuse to cater to corruption and exploitation while also rejecting the alternative of quitting. Read full review
80
The TimesKevin MaherDec 12, 2025
Arguments will rage about how much of this is staged and how much captured. The film-makers have labelled the film “a documentary fable” and that works for me. It’s that place where Ken Loach and David Attenborough meet. In the best possible sense. Read full review
80
The GuardianLeslie FelperinDec 8, 2025
Kotevska depicts the growing bond between man and bird with warmth and humour, and while the musical score is a bit on the sappy side, there are enough drolly astringent touches to make this cockle-warming family viewing, if you have a family that likes stories of unhappy agrarian workers. Read full review
80
The New York TimesAlissa WilkinsonDec 3, 2025
Some scenes are remarkably intimate — Nikola in his house on a stormy night drying off the stork, who falls asleep on his shoulder — and some are sweeping, which makes it an amazing portrait of a place on many scales. Read full review
80
ColliderRoss BonaimeNov 26, 2025
Kotevska isn’t just telling a story of a farmer in a foreign land; she’s constructing a story that we can all relate to in our current world, in one of the finest documentaries you’ll see all year. Read full review
80
Screen DailyWendy IdeNov 5, 2025
The storytelling is so deft and slick, it almost feels scripted at times. But there are certain elements that you can’t dictate in advance, like the almost spiritual connection that grows between Nikola and the gangly, damaged bird that he rescues from the dump, and which, in turn, reaffirms Nikola’s bond with the land. Read full review
80
Next Best PictureDaniel HowatNov 5, 2025
The Tale of Silyan becomes not just a portrait of one man’s endurance but a testament to human resilience everywhere. Blending myth and realism with exquisite sensitivity, Kotevska crafts a work of rare poetic power, a film that observes, listens, and ultimately illuminates the quiet, stubborn beauty of life itself. Read full review
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