All language subtitles for EN_The Tale of Silyan

[narrator]
Do you know the tale of Silyan?

My grandpa told me this legend
from the 17th century,

maybe even earlier.

There was once a boy

who lived
in the land of Macedonia.

His family owned a lot of land,

and they were producing food
for the entire village.

But the boy didn't like
the heavy work on the land.

He dreamed of going
somewhere far, far away.

Somewhere where he would find
a better life.

When he told his father

he wanted to leave
their village,

his father became so angry

that he threw a heavy curse
upon his son:

'I hope you turn into a bird

so my eyes
never see you again!

When the father's words
came out,

the sky opened

and Silyan
was struck by lightning!

And that's how Silyan
turned into a stork.

[woman] Would you like me to
make you a crown? [chuckles]

[man] Of course I would.

Let's put a couple more.

And now you are like a...

...king.

Look how handsome you are!

Let me kiss you, my queen.

-Do you recognise the song?
-That is my favourite song!

That's right!

Remember when you took me

on a first date
at your family grape field?

How can I not remember?

We were secretly eating grapes.

It was the best time
of my life!

Why?

Because my family
didn't have any grapes.

And then, remember
what I gave to you?

-I don't remember.
-Cucumbers!

If the top of it falls,
you love me!

if it doesn't, you don't.

With the finger.

You really love me.

[narrator]
Silyan wasn't accepted

amongst the storks,

because he was different
from them.

But he didn't belong
amongst the humans, either.

He was very lonely.

'Father, I'm here!
Look at me!'

he desperately wanted
to say to him.

But instead of words,

only claps came out
of his beak.

[woman] Come on, kids,
let's finish this house!

Good job! You've become
a professional, Ace!

[woman] Give Grandpa
some mortar, sweetie.

She's so hard-working!

[child] Here, Grandpa!

She's working so hard,
because this will be her room.

Give Grandpa another brick.

Good job, kiddo!

Your room will be

the most beautiful
in the house.

[man] Put the brick here!

[woman] Should I put it here?

Here from the window
you will watch the baby storks!

Look at those storks!

Do you see them up there?

They are building
a house just like us.

[woman 2]
We're building with bricks,

and they are building
with branches and weeds.

[man 1] I'm happy to leave
this house to you

and to my daughter, Aleksandra.

[man 2] We're happy to be here!

All the way there.

I built the second story
of this house for my son.

Do you know how hurt
I am that he left the village?

He left us by ourselves.

[narrator] The father
didn't know that his son

was still there,
in the village,

very close to him.

But Silyan had to
accept the life

of a stork forever.

[bird squawking]

[woman]
Look at the little mouse!

Run, run, run!

[man] Let's catch him!

Come on!

The land gave a lot.

Very fertile!

Help Grandpa find the potatoes!

There is more over there!

Six kilos here!

[man] Five tons of potato.

[woman]
Come on, hard-working people!

-This year we have a record!
The peppers are so fertile!

Come on, everyone, try some.

Eat it with your bare hands.

It's the last harvest
of the year.

Next year will be more
abundant than this year.

Let me show you!

I want the biggest ones.

-Six hundred grams.
-What do you think?

It's not big enough.

It's too expensive.

Why are you laughing?
-Come on!

Are we working for free?

You know how much work this is?

Show the money now.

You're not going to get poorer.

Two hundred fifty denars.

You check it yourself so you
won't say I've tricked you.

Is it green?

Of course not.

Fifteen denars a kilo.

Are you sure it's not green?

It's not, don't worry.

Thirteen denars a kilo.

I saw over there someone
was giving them for eight.

Eight denars?
You have some sense of humour!

I'd rather throw them away
than give them for eight!

Maybe we should start giving it
as a gift!

-Here's money!
-Not that kind of money!

-What kind of money?
The price I asked for!

Give me five bags
for 50 denars! That's 350!

I'm not even talking to you!

You have no right
to give him money!

I came first!

I have to feed my family, too!

I've been working hard,

and I want to
take something to my family.

I'm not taking
your money, guys!

I'm not giving you
my peppers, either!

You just lost your best offer!

The market is going to be
over soon.

It can't be over.
Nobody sold anything.

[child] Come on, Grandpa!

[woman] I don't know
what we're going to do.

Don't worry!
The year is ahead of us.

We have more crops for selling.

Nothing is going smoothly.

Believe me!
We have tobacco, cabbages...

It's all for nothing.

It's going to pay off,
believe me.

This one is a second class, too.

Two boxes second class,

and the rest are
third class, okay?

No!

You'll give the man the tobacco
price you agreed upon planting.

Look at this yellow colour!
It's pure gold!

Okay, then. Take it back home!

Take it to the gold shop
to sell it if it's gold!

[chattering]

This is pure 'Marlboro'.

I agree,
it's a good-looking tobacco,

[woman] Second? No way.

You haven't seen
a better tobacco than this one.

I'm sorry, but the government
has tightened the policies!

[woman]
Go measure it on the table!

Where do you think
I should put it?

I'll show you where it is.

First class!

You only took the good leaves.
they are not enough.

All of them are like this!

[woman] Next year, we are not
going to plant any more!

That's it!

No way. We are taking it back.

Do you know how much work it
is to harvest tobacco?

One ton of fertiliser
is 1300 denars.

One litre of gas is
1200 denars.

You should think
about what you are doing!

You will lose
all of your farmers!

[soft music]

Three tons of unsold potatoes.

What are we going to do now?

All of it is going to rot away.

Then we need to throw it
in the dumpster.

All the work for nothing.

[speaks foreign language]

[reporter]
The farmers are angry.

They believe the government

lets the traders and buyers
abuse their hard work.

The prices are changing every day
at the merchants' whim.

The farmers are announcing
a blockade on the main road.

[man chanting]
Farmers are not slaves!

Farmers are not slaves!

[chanting continues]

There were
300 farming families in our village,

now there are barely 50.

We can't live with these prices!

We are blocking the main road today.

Down with the government!

We are not giving you a single bite!

We worked for nothing!

We are blocking this road
with the fruits of our hard work!

Back off!

Justice for the farmers!

-[man] Do you speak German?
-[woman] A little bit?

-Bitteschön.
-Bitteschön?

-Meine Herren.
-Meine Herren?

-Auf Wiedersehen?
-Au-fi-der-zein.

-That means 'goodbye'.
-Okay. 'Aufiderzein.'

If somebody wants to order
some sandwich...

those...

chicken burgers...

the usual McDonald's food, you know it.

I'm not so familiar
with those sandwiches myself.

You will be hired to sell them.

I've fixed jobs in Germany for more than
500 families like you.

I helped everybody I could.

Nothing can go wrong from my side,
I promise you.

I went to Germany, I worked hard,
I came back, and I made this farm.

If I stayed here, I was never going
to have this luxury.

But then I built all of this
with my own hands,

I provided security for my kids
and my family.

-I assume you have kids.
-Yes.

Think about their future.

[speaking foreign language]

[soft music]

[narrator] The flock of storks had
to migrate south in order to find food.

Silyan didn't want to leave his village,
but he had no choice.

He left with the fear

that he would never
reconcile with his father.

[woman]
Ilina!

Did you forget about
Grandpa and Grandma?

You forgot us already.

[man] Ilina!

[woman]
Ilina.

[man]
The internet doesn't work.

[speaks foreign language]

Here she is!

Let me see you, sweetie!

Grandma's pretty doll!

She grew up so much!

How are you? Are you okay?

[woman]
All good. Very cold.

Are the salaries on time?

You won't believe it!

They've paid us on the exact date
three months in a row!

-It's great!
-[woman] Mm-hmm.

Why is Ane mad?

-[Ane] I'm not.
-[speaks foreign language]

[woman] Don't you tell me.
I can feel her from here.

[man]
Ane, is it cold over there?

It's cold.

Do you know how expensive
the daycare is here?

We are giving our entire salary to that.

But Ace just said everything is great.

[Ane] Don't you listen to Ace!

We are giving away all of our savings!

We are alone,
and we can't keep any money.

You must come here, Mom.

At least for a while,
until we can earn something.

You have to come take care of Ilina.

Please...

[wind howling]

[Ace] Grandpa!

Jana, I put them to boil.
What should I do next?

Should I put turmeric in the pot?

Yes, you can put curcuma.

But when you bake them, not now.

Should I put salt and spices
in the water?

Jana]
No, afterwards. Now just boil them.

[speaks foreign language]

Jana]
Wash them first!

[speaks foreign language]

Jana]
Good job. Put them to boil now.

-[Ane] Grandpa, look at Ilina's new toy.
-Let me see!

Do you want to come here
and see Grandpa?

[Ane] Ilina, do you want to go back
to Grandpa's?

[stork clicking]

LAND FOR SALE 3500 EUROS

GRAPES FOR SALE 6000 EUROS

NIKOLA-TELEPHONE NUMBER 015-231-103

[thunder rumbles]

LAND FOR SALE 2000 EUROS

NIKOLA-TELEPHONE NUMBER 015-231-103

That's not how it's done!

Put it lower.

Not like that.

[speaks foreign language]

There are two holes.

Turn it around, you won't break it.

[conversing in foreign language]

Do you know where I got this from?
The kids brought it to me from Austria.

Has anyone found any gold
with this device before?

I'm sure they have.

Let's not dig for nothing.

Some people have found treasure!

Do you know how to turn it on?

Here it is.

This button is for gold,
this one for copper

-[beeps]
-[speaks foreign language]

You know, they used to hide gold
in the walls of the old houses.

-How much did it cost, lljo?
-Six hundred euros.

That's nothing. We only need to find
six golden coins to pay it off.

I think it showed something.

Try from this side.

Are you sure this house is abandoned?
Where is the owner?

-He moved to Germany.
-He won't be coming back.

What are your sons doing over there?

Vanja works at 'fast delivery

-And Goran? Z
-He works in a factory.

-Shifts?
-Only night shifts.

So they are like prisoners.
They don't see any daylight.

You are also wifeless, just like me.

I can't blame her, she loves them.
She wants to help them.

So, who's going
to take care of you, now?

I'll be fine, I can take care of myself.

It's better to take care
of our grandchildren than me.

Where did this guy hang himself?

The man remained alone.

His family left him.

He hanged himself from this pillar
right here.

That's what happens
when your family abandons you.

[indistinct chatter over TV]

[woman] What made you decide to change
your profession at 60 years old?

It wasn't my decision.
Nothing is working out with farming.

Not the watermelons,
not the corn, not the potatoes!!

-How long have you been a farmer
-Since I was 15. 45 years already

What shall the social service
do with you now?

I don't know, that's why I came here,

to ask if you could find me
some other job.

Oh Nikola, Nikola. You can't be
retired yet, you are too young.

But you are too old
to start a new profession.

What work experiences do you have?

As a farmer, I was driving
heavy vehicles

like tractors.

Could you be a driver?

I could work as a driver, yes.

What types of driving licences
do you have?

I have A, B, C.

-Can you drive a bulldozer?
-Yes, I can.

[narrator] When the spring came,
the storks returned to Macedonia.

Silyan couldn't wait to see his parents

and the joyful life in his village.

[man]
Do you remember when all the storks

were jumping behind our tractors?

We were planting and they were eating.

They came immediately when they heard
the sound of the tractor.

They still follow
the sound of our tractors

But look what they are eating now

[man 1] So sad.

Poor animal.

[man 2] Don't you think
we should already

make our own graves next to the storks?

[man 1] I agree,
but who should die first?

I think it's better that you die first.

Why me?!

Because you can't dig a grave big
enough for me. Look how big I am.

-I'm smaller but stronger!
-So you want me to die first?

No, no, you're younger than me,
life is ahead of you!

[narrator] 'Father,
are we destined to die

and never reconcile?'

Silyan didn't want
to accept this destiny.

You see where the wing is broken?

Here! I feel two bumps.

Don't waste time.
Take him to a vet in the city.

They will know what to do.

They have wild animal shelters there.

Such a beautiful creature.

You're so pretty.

[woman] A stork?

Move the box away.

Which wing is hurt?

[man] The right one.

I see the swelling.

This is a wild animal,
and we don't know what to do with it.

We are not trained for wild animals.

It's not very common to see
a wild animal in our clinic.

-It's the first time, actually.
-[man] Can you take care of it?

I don't know what to do with it.

I don't know how to feed a stork!

XCLwhat's this one made of?

What's this one made of?

Mono protein.'

Let's try...

[speaks foreign language]

Let go, let go.

No, he doesn't like cat food.

Maybe you could take it temporarily

so we can try to find
some organisation for it?

Here, you can put
some fish in a bucket of water.

The fish will swim in the bucket,
and he will hunt them.

Are you going to take
your stork home now?

Iman] I can't see you, Jana!

[speaks foreign language]

[Jana] Ilina is mad at you because
you are not coming here.

Come here, sweetie,
look what I found you!

Look at the pretty stork, sweetie!

Jana]
Wow, he is such a beautiful stork!

I wanna go there!

[Ace]
I wanna go to Grandpa!

Jana]
We will, we will, one day.

We will, we will, one day. Jana

Jana]
We will, we will, one day.

-Grandpa!
-Grandpa will come, don't worry.

-Grandpa!
-[man] Hey?

Jana]
Did anybody call about the fields?

[man]
Nobody called.

It's a wasteland here.
Let me see llina more.

[Jana] How come they didn't?
You should lower the prices.

If it's 3000, give it for 2000.

I'll think about it.
I'll call you another time for that.

Go, fly to your family now.

Go ahead, fly!

This was the biggest stork nest
in Europe.

Look, it was so heavy
that it broke the rooftop!

Take as much as you can so your stork
can be more comfortable.

Wait, it's not full enough.

I was a good father to him.
I helped him stand on his own feet.

I helped him buy a car.

-He doesn't ask if you need any help?
-No, he hasn't come here in years.

He didn't even see this house.
I was building it for him.

What can I do? I'm invisible to him.

It doesn't matter,
he will always be your child.

So what if he's my child?

I'll leave everything I have
to the state! To the church!

I won't leave him anything.

A child may give up on their parent,

but a parent could never give up
on their child.

I don't care!
I'll find myself another son.

I have three sons.
If you want, I can lend you one.

Then you will finally be
as happy as I am.

[laughter]

I'm gonna get sick from laughing!

I haven't laughed for years.

Move it to the left!

This one could fall from a plane,
and it would still not break!

We made it so strong.

Silyan can raise three
to four kids on this floor.

[thunder rumbles]

speaking foreign language]

Look... I can't give you
my land for 1000!

It's a really low price. At least 3000!

-When is your birthday?
-Why?

Should I give it to you
as a gift, maybe?

I've worked on that land my entire life,

and now I should give it to you
for free!

Two thousand is the minimum!

All right, I'll think about it.

[distant thunder]

The situation here is scary! Hello, Jana!

The farmers poured gasoline
over their crops and burned them!

Jana] What are you saying?
That's so sad and worrying!

[man] They are getting
more money from the insurance

than from working on the land!

Mana] The poor vine treesh
How do they have the heart to burn them?

[man] They've turned
their ancestors' trees into dust!

[siren wailing]

Are your families coming back
for New Years'?

No, nobody is coming back.

But we can still celebrate,
just the three of us.

So what?

Happy New Year!

Whoever finds the coin in the bread,

he will be the host
of the next New Year.

Look at those eyes.

As if he's human.

[man] Silyan spent
many sleepless days and nights

thinking about how to tell his father
that he was still alive.

He decided to stand before his father

to see what would happen.

The father noticed the stork
and started speaking to him:

'You poor bird.
You are as lonely as I am.

You have lost your family, too.

My heart aches,

because I cursed my own son,
and I lost him.'

The old man didn't know this
was indeed his own son.

He decided to adopt the stork

and take care of him.

That's how after a long time,
Silyan finally came back home.

The father told him:
From today on, we will live together.

You will help me
plant crops on the land

so that we will have food,
and we will survive.

-Jana] Hello.
[man] Hi, how are you, sweetheart?

Jana]
I'm good. What's new with you?

Jana... I decided
not to sell the fields.

I simply can't abandon them.

They've kept us alive for 60 years.

Jana] How are you planning
to work on the land by yourself?

[man]
It's the only thing I know how to do!

I quit the landfill already.

If you want, come back.
If not, I accept it.

[narrator]
And that's how Silyan and his father

found peace with each other.

They returned to working
on the land together.

[inspirational music]

[speaks foreign language]

What did I do wrong?
What did I do wrong?

Now you will see!

[both laughing]

Let's work! Let's work!

Don't you dare!

-[speaks foreign language]
-Wipe your sweat!

You pumpkin!

[speaks foreign language]

[man speaks foreign language]

Come on!

[storks clicking]

[soft music]