By John Corrado

The 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival runs from April 25th to May 5th in Toronto

Gorgeously shot on 35mm film, Irish filmmaker Ken Wardrop’s latest documentary So This is Christmas is a tender portrait of lonely people in Ireland trying to make it through the holidays. The observational film goes beyond showing the usual festivities and cheer of the Christmas season, to instead shine a light on working class folks for whom the holidays aren’t the happiest time of the year.

The film’s five subjects are all struggling for various reasons. There’s Jason, a widowed father of two boys trying to make a happy Christmas for them after losing his wife, and Loretta, a single mum with three kids who is barely able to financially make ends meet. Shane doesn’t have a family of his own, celebrating with his little dog and drinking alone at the pub. Mary, who had an eating disorder, always struggles with the food expectations around the holidays. Meanwhile, Annette is an elderly lady who lives alone with her books after a life of pain, with the delivery driver who drops off her packages often being her only human contact.

“Loneliness is one thing, but being invisible and forgotten is something else,” Annette heartbreakingly observes at one point, and it’s a theme that carries through. With its Christmas music on the soundtrack, and shots of decorations going up and quiet streets lit with twinkling lights (all beautifully captured on film by cinematographer Narayan Van Maele), Wardrop’s film evokes the often bittersweet feel of the holidays. It can be a sombre, contemplative experience, but one that still finds small moments of joy.

Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)

So This is Christmas screens as part of the 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.