Meet the men behind the white beards and the Santa suits. A new Canadian documentary explores Christmas through the eyes of three mall Santas in Ontario. But it isn’t what you would think. Sure, there are the lineups of children, asking for everything from toys to teddies to cameras. But the documentary reveals more about the lonely lives of Santas Bernie, Roy and John.
MALL SANTA DOCUMENTARY SHOWS NOT SO JOLLY SANTAS
Each of them lives for the Christmas season. Santa Bernie has been playing a mall Santa for 50 years. But he’s disappointed when the mall isn’t busy and he’s told he’s not needed on Christmas Eve. Santa John takes his holiday from his job at a packaging plant from mid-November to the end of the year, just to play Santa for the kids. Santa Roy, a retired Revenue Canada accountant puts on a new persona when he puts on his Santa suit.
At first, director Mike Sheerin was expecting to do a sweet holiday story about jolly old men in red suits. Then he discovered a lonelier side to mall Santas.
“I got the idea for the doc after walking through a mall in Louisiana in December a few years ago. There was a Santa display and for some reason I was surprised by this -- I guess thinking Santa was limited to cold-weather climates. Anyway, it got me thinking about just how saturated the world is with Mall Santas during the Christmas season and I wondered what sort of stories existed within this subculture.”
NEW SANTA DOCUMENTARY AIRS ON GLOBAL TV THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, AT 8PM (ET/PT)
It’s a bittersweet documentary, giving viewers glimpses into their private lives. For Santas Bernie and Roy, they’re home alone for the holidays. Bernie even plays Internet Santa at home, taking online wishes. Santa Roy lifts his glass of Domenican Rum as a toast to himself after his last day at the mall. He admits he’s a little bitter since he’s by himself during the holidays. Only Santa John has a Mrs. Claus to come home to.
