QUICK’N DIRTY: LIVE FROM TALLINN
Winter brings the friend out of everyone, and such is the subject of this docudrama. The movie is based on Elena’s life, a middle-aged woman who lives in a Moldovan village. She dresses up every December in a Santa Claus costume, in order to bring entertainment to the place. Draped in a red cloak, the protagonist is driven by ambition to become the next mayor, proving to the world that women can work in higher up political positions.
Electing Ms Santa hinges on the strength of the protagonist, who is mostly engaging to watch. Elena is not entirely cherubic, but that is what makes her so intriguing. If the lead were a man, she would be praised for forward-thinking, yet due to her gender she must qualify certain parts of her life commensurate to her role as a woman. Director Raisa Răzmeriță’s focus is on what it means to be a modern-thinking European lady against bygone cultural constructs.
Elena is aware that a woman should be a mother and a wife. At least, that’s what history has taught her. Keen to express herself to the camera, the subject reportedly gave up seven years of her life to document her rawest emotions at a time of political change. The Moldova in the film is one that anticipates a place in the European Union; in reality, the nation was granted negotiatory status in June 2024. A place in a grander union will mean changes to local traditions.
Mercifully, Elena commits herself wholeheartedly to the project. Every one of her emotional facets are on display, allowing the viewer to enter into her mind.Discarding a poker face for the camera, the mayor-hopeful throws everything to the director. Eyes flicker, nostrils shift, and then there are the hair twists, all presenting to a person charged on nervous energy. She’s fascinating to watch, particularly when so many political contenders do everything to leave emotion at the door.
As a product, Electing Ms Santa asks questions about identity, age, parenthood and status. It’s telling that the central person has to adopt the persona of a friendly character found in children’s books and movies to gain the villagers trust at December time. Whether or not a man would have to do the same isn’t the important point, but that Elena has to do it year after year. This protagonist has to overcome hurdles that seem jejune for 2025.
One of the key issues about the movie is the handheld camerawork which occasionally lapses into amateurism. When done correctly, this type of filmmaking can have guerillaesque qualities, none of which can be seen in Electing Ms Santa. Some of the images, particularly the segments capturing the lead character in Christmas gear, look like they were shot on a cheap phone and edited on an outmoded laptop. At times, it looks like a home movie blown up to a wider screen format. The lighting is little better.
There are barriers that need to be removed around Europe for women. It’s unsettling that the conversations Electing Ms Santa are still occurring. Unfortunately, Raisa Răzmeriță’s work is let down on the technical front, which adds a palette that is significantly duller than the person it is basing a movie on. Ultimately, the character and story, set across years, is so fascinating that it merits praise. If there is a sequel, it would be interesting to see where Elena goes next with her journey, and whether or not the cultural norms that should have been consigned to the past in 2025 still exist in 2035.
Electing Ms Santa just premiered in the Doc@PÖFF International Competition of the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.
