Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Raisa Răzmeriță, Ion Gnatiuc. Fotografia / Photography: Ion Gnatiuc. Montaggio / Editing: Mircea Olteanu. Suono / Sound: Ioan Filip, Dan-Ștefan Rucăreanu. Interpreti / Cast: Elena Cernei, Ana-Maria Cernei, Ana Rusu, Vlad Cernei, Vitalie Strateciuc. Produzione / Produced by: HaiDOC Productions. Coproduzione / Co-produced by: Tangaj Production. Con il sostegno di / Supported by: Moldovan National Film Center, Romanian Film Centre, Malik Bendjelloul Memorial Foundation, IMS – International Media Support, B2B Doc Network, Liechtenstein Foundation, Goethe Zentrum Chișinău. In collaborazione con / In collaboration with: Romanian National Television.
In a remote Moldovan village, 42-year-old Elena leads a dual life. By day, she’s a simple peasant woman, tending to pigs, poultry, and a cow, under the controlling gaze of her 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 enrols in online courses, listening to
lectures while milking the cow. Driven by ambition and a desire to challenge the status quo, Elena makes a bold move: she decides to run for mayor.
“Elena is a woman from my hometown whom I have known for over 20 years, and who has consistently inspired me with her resilience and spirit… Electing Ms Santa is an exploration of identity, choice, and the transformative power of self-determination. Through this film, I wanted to tell the story of a simple woman from a small village in Moldova who is searching for meaning beyond her own limits.” (R. Răzmeriță)
Raisa Răzmeriță
Giornalista e filmmaker, è diplomata al BDC Discoveries – Balkan Documentary Center ed è borsista della Malik Bendjelloul Foundation. Attualmente sta seguendo un Master in filosofia e management culturale presso l’Università Statale della Moldavia. Collabora come regista con HaiDOC Productions e lavora anche con diverse ONG moldave. Electing Ms Santa, tra i progetti presentati nel 2025 a Last Stop Trieste – WEMW, è il suo primo lungometraggio documentario ed è stato presentato in anteprima all’ultimo festival di Tallinn.
2025 Electing Ms Santa doc.
