“It’s refreshing to see a political story proving that life can be surprisingly easy with the right blend of optimism and dedication.”

When it comes to living in a community of any size, from the most sprawling metropolis to the quaintest country hamlet, you are bound to find a few key archetypes that are integral to the functioning of society. This extends from the elected officials tasked with maintaining order to the civilians who seem to think they are the ones in charge. However, it’s often the people who don’t draw our attention that prove to be the most important, as they are the lifeblood of society primarily because of how they work behind the scenes to enrich their community. In her extraordinary directorial debut (and her first credit in any capacity) Raisa Razmerita takes her camera to a small village in Moldova, and primarily focuses on Elena, an ordinary woman who has lived there her whole life and is well-respected by her neighbors. However, she is also covertly the beating heart of this village, since she has taken it upon herself to contribute to the day-to-day running of the community, finding time in between her farm duties to make her village a happier place through charity work involving children, the elderly and anyone else who needs help. She decides to set her sights on something bigger by running for mayor, since she realizes that there is only so much that can be done without occupying elected office. A charming documentary that is small in scope but enormous in intention, Electing Ms Santa (which refers to the protagonist’s habit of dressing as Santa Claus to deliver gifts to children who need a boost) is a wonderfully poignant exploration of one woman’s journey to making her village a better place, one act of kindness at a time.

Some concepts are so conventional that they border on cliché, but for reasons that become evident when we realise that there is always an element of truth behind them. In the case of Electing Ms Santa, we have a film built around a woman who has spent her life dedicated to her community, and who decides to turn her passion into something more concrete by running for office, guided by the principle that it just takes a single spark to inspire widespread change. Naturally, there is an enormous difference from the milieux in which we normally see these ideas explored, since they tend to be much wider than a small village in rural Moldova, which does not immediately look like a battleground for a tense political race in which multiple candidates vie for office; the principle, however, remains the same. Elena is just one small voice amongst a larger community, but proves to be loud and consistent enough to actually make a major difference, enriching those in her surroundings and, as a result, inspiring them to do the same, creating the genuine positivity that she wholeheartedly believes is the key to their success. Through the story of Elena, the director weaves a rich cultural tapestry that explores her efforts to improve her village, priding herself on being a good person above all else and believing that everyone is worthy of respect and affection. She even refers to the entire village as “nice people with beautiful souls”, which shows how much love she has for her neighbors. This forms the foundation for a moving character study of perhaps the strongest and most influential pillar of this community.

Without the necessary context, Electing Ms Santa may sound like a navel-gazing attempt at introducing a protagonist who defines the idealistic salt-of-the-earth personality, often romanticized in an era when the interplay between tradition and modernity inspires a lot of debate regarding the rise of conservative values in these small towns. However, there are no ulterior motives in the creation of this film, which is simply a loving tribute by the director to a woman who was part of her life growing up in this same village, and whom she sets out to honor as the subject of a very touching documentary. From its first moments we find a rich and meaningful mosaic that is as much a cultural celebration as it is a steadfast tribute to those people who keep such a community functioning. The film is structured around a series of small, intimate moments in the lives of these characters over several years, with Elena being the primary focus. Most of the really effective moments come when it is just the director and her handheld camera interacting with Elena, capturing fragments of her daily routine that become more compelling than we initially expected. It takes a lot of work to find beauty in the small, inconsequential moments, but considering how Electing Ms Santa employs a simple, forthright style that allows the message to be conveyed directly, there is no need to overcomplicate a straightforward premise. Tonally, the film leans towards a radical optimism that may not land for some viewers who prefer a story with a bit more grit behind it, but which certainly works well for the specific approach taken by the director, an idealistic but nonetheless compelling method of exploring these ideas.

There is nothing being said in Electing Ms Santa that we can’t find discussed elsewhere, since originality and innovation were never a priority here. Instead, it relies on a deep compassion and undying commitment to telling this story, which may be small but is undeniably valuable. It is evidently a debut feature by someone making their first foray into filmmaking, with some of the seams being quite visible and certain moments not always flowing together as well as they should, particularly in how it connects the smaller moments with the broader implications that they are meant to complement. This can be credited primarily to Razmerita having spent several years capturing the raw footage and chiseling it into something coherent and with a clear message, divorced from any broader political agenda. Despite being about an election, it doesn’t have too much interest in exploring ideological differences – there’s certainly no expectation of riveting debate coming from such a small village where seemingly everyone gets along to a certain degree. Instead it focuses on the human side of these relationships. Ultimately, Electing Ms Santa functions as a charming celebration of community and unity, as told through the story of one person who has dedicated her life to bringing everyone together, regardless of their position in life or personal beliefs. Considering how much of the modern world involves deciding which side of a major division we find most aligned with our own values, it’s refreshing to see a political story, albeit smaller and more intimate than many others, exploring how a community can exist in harmony, proving that life can be surprisingly easy (or at least easier to navigate) with the right blend of optimism and dedication.