Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale 2010

Perched atop a majestic hill, an excavation team, led by their chief, embarks on a meticulous descent into the earth’s core at the behest of a determined American patron. The revelation of sawdust deep within the mountain’s bowels sends the financier’s excitement soaring. With unwavering enthusiasm, he instructs the team to continue digging, but with one crucial caveat: they must adhere to a set of strict rules printed on cards, which include stern warnings against smoking and profanity. The excavation chief’s initial amusement quickly gives way to concern as the American’s gravity is palpable, underscoring the importance of these seemingly trivial guidelines.

Meanwhile, two Finnish youngsters, Pietari (Onni Tommila) and Jusso (Ilmari Järvenpää), engage in a covert observation of the excavation team from a nearby vantage point. As they retreat through a makeshift opening in the fence, their curiosity piqued by the men’s departure, Pietari’s thoughts turn to the impending Christmas festivities. His companion, Jusso, spoils the festive atmosphere with a stark reality check: Santa Claus is nothing more than a myth. This revelation sparks Pietari’s intellectual curiosity, and he becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth about this enigmatic figure.

As the holiday season draws near, Pietari finds himself increasingly vigilant, gazing out his window at the night sky. One fateful morning, he awakens to discover an unsettling series of footprints on the shed roof mere inches from his second-story perch. Convinced that these tracks could not have been left by his father, Rauno (Jorma Tommila), Pietari is certain that only one explanation remains: Santa Claus has finally come knocking, perhaps with a special mission in mind for him.

As the winter solstice draws near, on a fateful December 23rd, Pietari (actor name) and Rauno venture to a makeshift assembly point, where they join fellow villagers eager to exact revenge on the nearby reindeer population. The villagers have prepared an electrified perimeter fence, expecting a larger herd to materialize. However, when the appointed hour arrives, only two reindeer appear, sending shockwaves through the gathering. Pietari, Jusso (actor name), their fathers, and a third individual set off in pursuit of the mysterious creatures, eventually stumbling upon the lifeless bodies of the reindeer near the mountainous terrain. Rauno, noticing the compromised fence, assumes that the perpetrators responsible for the carnage are the same individuals rumored to be operating in the nearby mountains. The wolves, sensing an opportunity, have been feasting on the carcasses.

With their village’s very survival hanging in the balance, the group of men decides to take matters into their own hands and head up to the mountain to demand compensation for the devastating loss. However, upon arrival, they find the area eerily deserted, with a colossal crater serving as a focal point at the mountain’s center. The group then returns to Rauno and Pietari’s abode, where Pietari (actor name) reveals to Jusso an astonishing excavation image he discovered in the abandoned shed on the hillside. According to Pietari’s research, an ancient tribe had once captured Santa Claus, imprisoning him in the local waters before entombing him beneath the excavated mountain. Not surprisingly, Jusso dismisses Pietari’s claims as mere fantasy, but the seeds of doubt have been sown.

The morning after, Pietari ventures outdoors, where he discovers his father’s wolf trap has been triggered. Accompanied by Rauno, they investigate the commotion only to be met with a gruesome sight - a bloody hand, which sends Rauno hastily ushering Pietari back into their home and phoning Piiparinen. The latter arrives, and together with Rauno, they lug the lifeless body to Rauno’s shed. As they grapple with the moral implications of harboring a corpse, they notice something peculiar - the deceased old man begins to exhibit signs of respiration. Furthermore, his attire yields a wallet and an American passport, which sparks a new set of concerns.

As they deliberate on their next move, Rauno becomes aware that Pietari has been snooping on them and gives chase in his truck, eventually converging with the local Sheriff, who is busy apprehending the young boy. Noticing this development, Rauno continues onward to Jusso’s father’s residence, where he encounters a peculiar situation: all of the potato sacks have vanished, leaving the tubers untouched. The Sheriff also shares reports of nocturnal thefts, including the pilfering of ovens and heaters.

Pietari decides to pay a visit to Jusso’s home but instead finds an unsettling straw effigy in his bed. He retrieves it and brings it back to Rauno and the others, who attribute Jusso’s absence to mischief. Undeterred, Pietari requests Jusso’s father join them at their residence, knowing that he is proficient in English. Upon entering the shed, they discover Piiparinen has fallen victim to the old man’s attack, now curled up near some lights for warmth. Jusso’s father attempts to converse in English, but the old man remains unresponsive.

Meanwhile, Pietari retires back to their home and begins contacting other families, only to be met with a sense of dread as he realizes that numerous children from his social circle have also gone missing.

As Pietari boldly proclaims that the elderly man is none other than Santa Claus, the adults’ skepticism is palpable. The old man’s attempt to approach Pietari sparks a chain reaction of events, culminating in the discovery of a walkie-talkie squawking with an urgent message: “I’m coming for Santa Claus; are you ready?” The men’s initial disbelief gives way to alarm as they organize a makeshift drop-off point at a nearby small airport. Donning Piiparinen’s Santa suit, they arrive at the airfield, only to be met by an unexpected arrival - a helicopter piloted by an American archaeologist.

The villagers demand payment of $85,000, convinced they’ve captured the legendary sleigh driver, but their excitement is short-lived as the American expert reveals that they’ve actually apprehended one of Santa’s trusted helpers. As tensions rise, a gruesome discovery unfolds: the helicopter pilot lies lifeless on the ground, and the lights flicker out. The men are then confronted by an eerie sight - dozens of old men with wispy white beards emerging from the shadows.

Rauno frantically searches for Pietari, only to find him leading them to a nearby hangar. With doors barricaded, they’re met with an astonishing tableau: a frozen creature with imposing horns at its center, surrounded by potato-bound children and humming ovens and heaters intent on melting the ice. The men are left perplexed, but Pietari’s quick thinking silences their doubts, and a plan takes shape.

The ‘helpers’ are likely drawn to the children, Piiparinen surmises, and he seizes the opportunity to escape into the helicopter. With the aircraft hovering above a hole in the hangar roof, Pietari orchestrates a daring rescue: the children are lashed to a net, which extracts them from their potato-bound confinement as they’re pulled out of the hanger. The ‘helpers’ give chase, hot on their heels.

Meanwhile, Rauno and Jusso’s father stumble upon a stash of dynamite, which they use to rig the frozen creature for destruction after ensuring the ovens and heaters have been shut down.

As Pietari broadcasts his plan to Piiparinen, he directs him to steer the helicopter towards the reindeer enclosure. Upon observing that the fence is sealed, Pietari decides to make the ultimate sacrifice - personally opening the gate to facilitate the impending arrival of the ‘helpers’. With a heroic determination, he drops to the ground, swings open the entrance, and prepares for the swarm of mysterious entities to descend upon him.

However, just as the ‘helpers’ are poised to converge on Pietari, Rauno and Jusso’s father intervene, unleashing a devastating blast that destroys the frozen creature. The sudden disruption snaps the ‘helpers’ out of their trance-like state, halting their approach in mid-air.

With an impressive headcount of 198 ‘helpers’ corralled into the enclosure, Pietari is filled with a sense of accomplishment. As he, Rauno, and Jusso reflect on their remarkable achievement, they discover a silver lining to this peculiar situation. With mere months until Christmas, the men decide to capitalize on their unusual find by transforming the ‘helpers’ into festive fixtures for department stores and other holiday events.

Through rigorous training and meticulous grooming, Pietari and his team transform the ‘helpers’ into convincing Santa Clauses, donning them in elaborate costumes and dispatching them to various locations (for a substantial fee, of course). The men dub their innovative venture “Rare Exports,” and begin shipping their unique commodity to eager clients across the country.