When it comes to Christmas films many are packed with elements of fantasy. Reasonings for how Santa achieves his annual worldwide delivery, and keeps the North Pole hidden, introduce sci-fi leanings with increasingly futuristic ideas. Delving into imagination has long been a big part of many fictional festive films, no matter what genre. However, this year’s Alternative Christmas Film Advent Calendar switches focus to look at documentaries which follow real world Christmas stories and figures, each with their own strand of imagination, festive spirit and occasional fantasy.
In 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger took on the biggest fight against the commercialisation of Christmas since Charlie Brown’s. How did he do this? By running all across Minneapolis in a desperate bid to get his son the must-have toy that year before dressing up as the Turbo Man action-figure in a Christmas Eve parade. For Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir their fight with the festive season’s increased promotion of consumerism isn’t limited to just Christmas Eve or Minneapolis as What Would Jesus Buy? sees them travel across America preaching their cause through performance protest.
Whether being escorted out of a mall, appearing on TV or going door-to-door carolling (“Joy to the world, in the form of goods. Consume! Consume! Consume!” or “Pack the malls with folks with money, fa la la la la la la la la”) their message is loud and clear, Christmas has become too much about money. As the church makes their way across the country towards Disneyland we hear from church ministers about their views about what Christmas has become and from small business owners about the impact that a Wal-Mart opening in their area has had on their livelihoods, particularly at this time of year.
Throughout there’s an awareness from the protesters as to what they’re doing, and a sense that they’re having some fun with their performances – whether out on the street or engaging in their form of church service. All in order to get across their point about both the true spirit of Christmas, the generosity and togetherness at the heart of it and how you don’t need to spend huge wads of cash to display that – “give a gift out of love this season!” Reverend Billy shouts through a cone loudhailer outside a Toys R Us to a positive, agreeing response from onlookers.
We hear snippets of memories of simpler Christmases past from people who may have grown up with little and, indeed what people think Jesus would buy in this day and age (well, 2007; the Wii and Xbox 360 get a couple of mentions). Alongside combatting consumerism the church aims to fight against unethical means of making products, such as sweatshops. Each point they tackle on their journey across the US links back to their push of remembering others throughout the festive season, showing a care for those around us, all through their entertaining brand of rather joyful protest.
What Would Jesus Buy? is available to watch in the following places:
YouTube
To see other platforms where you can buy, rent or stream the film, especially in your part of the world, it’s worth having a look at Justwatch.
Just A Little Bit Random 