Rare Exports is a 2010 Finnish movie which offers up some intriguing fresh takes on that venerable old man of the North, Santa Claus. This is not the kindly old elf we meet in this rather rugged (at times) yarn of a father and his son who are trying to find a way to connect while at the same time stay financially solvent after some very weird events demolish the annual reindeer round up.
The movie is based on this 2003 short film titled Rare Exports Inc. Somber and blandly grim, it's a rather modern take on the holiday season.
The full-length movie is the story of Pietari Kontaro who still believes in Santa Claus when all his friends do not. He's a boy who still has a doll and who resists growing up despite living in the beautiful but unforgiving Finnish mountain environment. He and his friend sneak up a high mountain camp where men mysteriously plan to dig and uncover what they think might be an ancient tomb filled with ice. Then some days later, near Christmas children disappear as well as every local heating device which can be carried. Pietari and his father capture a wild looking old naked man with a dirty white beard in a wolf pit who they imagine is dead.
But then his father along with two of his comrades discover differently and for a time at least imagine they've captured "Santa Claus" and things really heat up when they seek to recoup their season's losses by holding the old man hostage for ransom.
There are many secrets to unravel in this rough and tumble adventure which begins with a high degree of seeming reality but becomes more and more a young man's fantasy of becoming successful for his father's sake and along the way we learn some dark truths about the real Santa Claus.
Fun somewhat dark holiday movie - definitely worth checking out.
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