The Tale of Silyan (2025)★ 7.8/10

This documentary is almost perfect. The cinematography is amazing, the storyline almost scripted. The close access of the film team to the characters is remarkable. I’m struggling to give it five stars because it’s almost too good to be true. It looks like it’s not a vérité doc. For example, was the film team really in the right spot at the garbage dump when the farmer spotted and caught the injured stork? Or was this re-enacted?
It was utterly surprising to me this doc didn’t get shortlisted for the 2026 Oscars, as the story is more unique and beautifully executed than some of the other 15 shortlisted docs.