Appelo Archives Center to show Finnish Christmas film

A Christmas Story of How Santa Came to Be:

Joulutarina, a 2007 Finnish film spoken in Swedish but with English subtitles, will be shown at the Appelo Archives Center on Saturday, December 19, at 11 a.m. Directed by Juha Wuolijoki, it is the story of how an orphan, Nikolas became Santa Claus. This film is rated PG and runs 77 minutes.

Hundreds of years ago in Lapland, Nikolas loses his family in an accident. The village heads of the families meet to decide his future. Since life in the Arctic is so difficult, it is decided that no one family could care for him permanently. As a result, each family would raise him for one year and then move him on to the next. Thankful, Nikolas begins whittling toys out of wood as gifts, which he leaves each Christmas for the family that cared for him. Over the years, Nikolas's former adoptive families become many, and soon almost every house has presents on its doorstep on Christmas morning. When a blight hits the village, and none of the families can afford to take him in for the next year, at age 13, he is taken in by grumpy hermit Iisakki as his carpenter's apprentice. Iisakki works him hard but Nikolas is clever and quick to learn. Iisakki forbids Nikolas to continue making the Christmas presents. Iisakki gradually grows to love Nikolas as his own son and Nikolas wins Isak's trust. Together they begin to look after the Christmas tradition that Nikolas has begun. Nikolas begins to live more and more for the spirit of Christmas with each passing year and it becomes his life. As he grows old he becomes the figure known as Santa Claus.

There is no admission charge. Donations are greatly appreciated.

Appelo Archives Center is located at 1056 SR 4, two miles east of the Naselle schools.