Director Celia Aniskovich’s documentary “The Merchants of Joy” takes you deep into a world most New Yorkers rarely (if ever) think about: the scrappy, spirited business of selling Christmas trees on the streets of the city. This wonderfully focused topic lends itself so well to a movie that’s informative, festive, and fun, and it’s a delight from start to finish.
Aniskovich follows five families who run New York’s Christmas tree trade. Every winter, they descend on the city’s sidewalks and turn them into pop-up forests of twinkling lights and pine needles. What sounds like a cozy seasonal gig is actually a high-stakes hustle that’s filled with long nights, freezing weather, and a surprising amount of turf wars. There’s strategy, competition, and plenty of good-natured (and occasionally not-so-good-natured) rivalry. Who knew selling Christmas trees was such serious business?
The film introduces a lineup of unforgettable characters with massive personalities. There’s “Big Greg,” a Bronx-based tree titan with a heart of gold and the mouth of a longshoreman, and a family from Vermont who treat every tree like a baby they’re sending off to college. These are people who live and breathe the jolly season. For them, Christmas isn’t just a holiday, but a livelihood.
What makes this documentary so much fun is how it balances the gritty reality and daily grind behind the twinkling yuletide magic. These folks work like crazy to make a living from just a few short weeks of sales, and the film gives them the spotlight they’ve long deserved. You’ll definitely come away from the film with a new respect for these tree sellers.
Aniskovich captures that warm and cozy, nostalgic feeling of Christmas in New York. The film is full of glowing city streets, snow flurries, and moments of holiday togetherness. But it’s the way the film peels back the facade to show the inner workings of the tree business that is so interesting.
Festive, funny, and full of heart, “The Merchants of Joy” is the kind of documentary that makes you stop and think about the people behind traditions many of us take for granted. After watching it, you’ll never walk past a Christmas tree stand the same way again.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 