The Tale of Silyan

Somewhere in North Macedonia, Nikola and Jana Conev are a poor farmer couple who grow potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, and tobacco. The white storks in the area form a symbiotic relationship with the farmers as the fertile land offers prey for the birds, which construct their nests on the village rooftops. The country, one of the few in the continent which is not a part of the European Union, faces looming economical instability. This causes markets to shrink and prices for crops to hit an all time low, depriving the Conevs and their fellow farmers of income as they are unable to sell their products. Protesting against the government's policies, the farmers block city roads with their rotten crops. While many of the villagers move away in search of a better life, Nikola refuses to leave the land he inherited from his family, and is still shaken by his eldest son's departure a few years ago.