"Search for Santa" Overview
“Search for Santa,” directed by Douglas Cheney, is aimed at those who question the existence of Santa Claus or who may have even stopped believing all together. Done in the style of a documentary, the film explores several pieces of “evidence” which could prove that old Saint Nick exists and help explain his miraculous ability to visit so many homes in one night. Scientific “experts” discuss findings and clues such as:
- The Mystery of the Nafud: In the Nafud Desert, Saudi Arabia, a portion of an eight hundred-year-old sleigh was found buried deep in the sand. Why was this sleigh in the middle of a desert?
- The Swoboda Film: In 1973, Clay Swoboda used a super 8 mm camera and a ball of twine to capture the only known photographic evidence of Santa.
- The Hoffman Expedition: Hutch Hoffman mounts an expedition to the Arctic North in search of Santa’s workshop, which he believes is located at Magnetic North.
Guide Review of "Search for Santa"
The film is well done and well organized, just like a true documentary. Kudos to Mr. Cheney for the presentation of the film and for finding "experts" who could keep such a convincing straight face throughout the discussion. In a word, "Search for Santa" is amusing.
Douglas Cheney, the director, doesn’t talk about this film as being anything but an absolutely serious and real documentary about the proof that Santa exists. If you want to believe, don't pay attention to the credits and play along. While in some respects the film seems silly and somewhat pointless, the intent is to remind viewers of the wonder, and how just plain fun it is to believe. (It should be noted that a message at the beginning of the film states that it is not aimed at younger kids who believe in Santa.)
