Electing Ms Santa
Date:
January 9, 2023
Electing Ms Santa
Electing Ms Santa
by Raisa Razmerita
produced by HaiDOC Productions | Republic of Moldova
Tangaj Production | Romania
1st feature
Logline
In a remote Moldovan village, 42-year-old Elena defies social norms and family duties, embarking on a transformative journey to gain control of her life and pursue her dreams, even if it means leaving everything behind.
Synopsis
In a remote Moldovan village, 42-year-old Elena leads a dual life. By day, she’s a poor farmer, tending to pigs, poultry, and a cow alongside her controlling 72-year-old mother, Ana. But Elena’s true passion lies in her role as the village’s beating heart – distributing donations to lonely elders, engaging children in environmental activities, and donning a Santa Claus costume each year to reward young volunteers.
Despite her demanding responsibilities, Elena yearns for personal growth. She enrolls in online courses, listening to lectures while milking the cow, finding both excitement and escape in these learning opportunities. Driven by ambition and a desire to challenge the status quo, Elena makes a bold move: she decides to run for mayor.
In this journey of self-discovery, filmed over seven years, she evolves from simply trying to do what she wants to actively opposing what she feels obligated to do. Ultimately, Elena realizes her true calling lies not in political office, but in her role as the village’s nurturing soul.
The film concludes with Elena embracing her identity as the community’s beloved Santa Claus, bringing joy to the village she holds dear. “Electing Ms Santa” is a poignant exploration of identity, the clash between generations, and the search for meaning beyond traditional boundaries of place and gender. It’s a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of finding one’s authentic place in the world.
Director’s Profile
After several years of working both in the media and in the non governmental sector in the field of children’s rights in the Republic of Moldova, Raisa Razmerita discovered that the documentary field allows her to get to know the characters “with the heart”, because “eyes do not see the essential”, as the Fox says in THE LITTLE PRINCE (her favorite book). Raisa embraced the development of her first feature length documentary film project almost simultaneously with the process of making sourdough bread. These processes ran in parallel in the last years and helped her develop the necessary patience and the ability to capture the small details that often make the difference.
A graduate of BDC Discoveries – Balkan Documentary Center and a Malik Bendjelloul fellow, Raisa is following the courses of a Master’s Degree at the State University of Moldova – Philosophy and Cultural Management. Besides collaborating as a film director with HaiDOC Productions, she is also editing and collaborating with a few Moldavian NGOs that are implementing projects on topics like child sexual abuse, women’`s involvement in politics, and employment of people with mental disabilities. In this segment, Raisa is directing and editing video content with a strong documentary approach, but also helping them to implement documentary films in their area of expertise as tools to raise awareness and generate impact through films.
Company Profile
HaiDOC Productions is a team of Moldovan storytellers who are delving into unique and impactful social themes through ethnographic and anthropological exploration, dedicating substantial time, attention, and involvement to allow each story to unfold naturally. We focus mainly on documentary film production, working on creating films that approach social topics and reflect on nowadays Moldavian society. In addition to our own productions, we work with selected partners and bring full production services for cinematic work – we serviced or produced for Netflix, HBO, EAVE, IMS, The Guardian, DW, ZDF, etc. Our films were selected to an extensive list of film festivals – Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival, goEast Film Festival, Transilvania International Film Festival, Helsinki International Film Festival, One World Romania, and many others.