Electing Ms Santa
Elena, a woman in rural Moldova is torn between family duty and personal dreams. By day, she's a simple peasant woman, tending to pigs, poultry, and a cow, under the controlling gaze of her mother, Ana. But Elena's true passion lies in her role as the village's beating heart and she decides to make a bold move: to run for mayor. As she faces setbacks and societal expectations, her resilience, generosity, and quiet leadership shine. The film explores gender roles, identity, and the power of everyday heroes in transforming their communities.
A graduate of BDC Discoveries – Balkan Documentary Center and a Malik Bendjelloul fellow, Raisa is studying a Master's Degree in Philosophy and Cultural Management at the State University of Moldova. Besides collaborating as a film director with HaiDOC Productions, she is also editing and working with a few Moldovan NGOs that are implementing projects on topics like child sexual abuse, women’s involvement in politics, and employment of people with mental disabilities. In this segment, Raisa is directing and editing video content with a strong documentary approach, but also helping them to implement documentary films in their area of expertise as tools to raise awareness and generate impact through films.
