“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 countryside 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 very 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, a relatively ordinary woman at a glance, someone who has lived in this village her whole life and has proven to be quite 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 just about anyone else who needs help. She decides to set her sights on something bigger in the form of running for mayor of the village, since she realizes that there is only so much that can be done without actually occupying elected office, which she hopes to change. A charming documentary that may be small in scope but enormous in intention, Electing Ms Santa (which refers to the protagonist’s love for 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.

There are some concepts that are so conventional that they border on cliché, but for reasons that become evident when we realise that there is always some truth behind them. In the case of Electing Ms Santa, we have a film built around the premise of someone who has spent her life dedicated to her community, and who decides that she is going to turn her passion into something more concrete by running for elected office, guided by the principle that it just takes a single spark to inspire widespread change. Naturally, there is an enormous difference between the milieux in which we normally see these ideas explored, since they tend to be much larger than some small village somewhere in rural Moldova, which does not immediately lend itself to the idea of being a battleground for a tense political race in which multiple candidates vie to hold elected 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 kind of genuine positivity that she wholeheartedly believes is the key to the community’s success. Through the story of Elena, the director weaves a rich cultural tapestry that explores her efforts to improve her community, priding herself on being a good person above all else and genuinely believing that everyone in her community is worth 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 genuinely 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 mindlessly navel-gazing attempt at introducing a protagonist who defines the idealistic salt-of-the-earth personality that continues to be romanticized in an era where the interplay between tradition and modernity inspires a lot of debate regarding the ongoing rise of conservative values represented by these small towns. However, there are no ulterior motives that went into the creation of this film, which is instead simply a loving tribute by the director to someone who had been a part of her life growing up in this same village, and whom she sets out to not only honor, but use as the subject for 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. It is structured around a series of small, intimate moments in the lives of these characters over several years, with Elena in particular being the primary focus. Most of the more meaningful moments come when it is just the director and her handheld camera interacting with Elena, capturing small fragments in her daily routine that present themselves as being much more compelling than we may have initially expected. It takes a lot of work to find beauty in the smallest and most seemingly inconsequential moments, but considering how much of Electing Ms Santa is built around a very simple, forthright style that allows the message to be conveyed directly, there is no need to overcomplicate a straightforward premise. Tonally, the film constantly leans towards a kind of radical optimism that may not always land for some viewers who prefer a story with a bit more grit behind it, but which certainly works well for the specific approach being taken by the director, a more idealistic but nonetheless compelling method of exploring these ideas.

There is certainly nothing being said in Electing Ms Santa that we can’t find discussed elsewhere, since originality and innovation were never a priority for the director’s decision to make this film. Instead, it relies on its 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 of any kind, 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, one divorced from any broader political agenda, since 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 more human side of these stories. 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 is built on deciding which side of a major division we find most aligned with our own values, it’s refreshing to see a political story, albeit much smaller and more intimate than many others with similar ideas, 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.