Christmas in New York

***Christmas in New York*** (*Italian*: Natale a New York) is a North Korean-Italian animated holiday film that was released in 2005, distributed by Mondo TV and animated by SEK Studio.

## Summary

In the middle of Fox Forest, a stray poodle named Winner that likes to play ball, along with Ari – a magical boy brought into the forest for protection from the forces of evil – have vague memories of a decorated tree and the gifts exchanged on one particular day of the year. The wise old owl, in his great knowledge and insight, reveals to them that it is all about Christmas! Thus begins a story in which Ari and his friends demonstrate their good-hearted nature.

## Synopsis

Ari (from *Winner and the Golden Child)* discovers that all the children in the world, at a time of year known as Christmas, receive presents and see all their wishes fulfilled by writing a letter to Santa Claus. Knowing nothing about Christmas, he seeks information from Winner, a stray poodle, Fox and the Owl, his closest friends. Even they do not know very much, although Winner remembers the time with pleasure (when he lived among the humans) and Fox insists that he saw Santa Claus in his town. Ari writes a letter to Santa Claus and asks to see his parents again.

He also asks for three presents: one for Winner, one for Fox and one for the Owl. Thanks to the Owl’s foresight, he gets clothes which are suitable for winter in the city. With the help of Arbor, a wise old tree, they move to New York on the day before Christmas Eve. The city is whitened by snow and the lights from the shop windows, as well as crowds of busy people in the streets, that amazed little Ari.

Fox takes him to the place where he knows he will find Santa Claus. They are very disappointed when they find out that this is not the real Santa Claus, but only a human, one of the many helpers involved in picking up the children’s and letters. Fox takes his two friends to St. Patrick’s parish church.

There he finds an old friend, the cook of the soup-kitchen. He gives Fox and Winner something to eat, while Father Ramirez and Father O’Neill look after Ari. They take him to the room where the poor people eat and Ari, speaking to two children Tracy and Noel, Ari learns what poverty is. He gives Father Ramirez a button from his jerkin, which actually is a ruby, saying that he found it in the street, and moves away with Fox and Winner.

Father Ramirez realizes that he has received a precious stone as a gift only when the boy has gone, and cries out that this miracle will enable him to provide a wonderful Christmas for the poor of his parish. Ari is disappointed and desolate because he does not know where to find Santa Claus. As the sleigh used by Santa Claus is pulled by reindeer, Winner thinks that Buckshot, making his way through the Black Forest, will surely know how to find him. As they are on their way to Central Park, they are stopped by Angelo the dog catcher. He thinks that Fox did a lot of trouble but Ari tricks Angelo into thinking it wasn't Fox's fault so Ari calls for help that the other dogs try to scare Angelo.

As they made it into Central Park, they met with Angelo again. This time he feeds to birds and squirrels of the park as Angelo is delighted to see Ari, Winner and Fox knowing their way around the park. Angelo's heart was changed as he now likes Fox as he vows never to catch him again. Angelo too also talks to animals like Ari so Angelo invites Ari, Winner and Fox to his house to see his daughter Miriam. Miriam had her problem with her legs as she is in the wheelchair. A moment later, Ari sees The Snowflake Fairy as she grants Ari one wish. Winner and Fox suggested Ari to go to the North Pole but Ari wishes for Miriam to walk again just before the Snowflake Fairy disappears. Ari thinks he wished it too late and Angelo comforts him. Miriam gets out of the wheelchair and she is able to walk again to her parents surprise. Miriam thanks Ari for making a wish as Ari, Winner and Fox heading back to Central Park to find out more about Santa's Reindeer. Once again, with the help of Arbor, they are transported to the Black Forest.

Buckshot takes them to a secret mountain hut where elves, gnomes, marmots and squirrels are preparing the packages for Santa Claus. The chief of the elves explains that they never see Santa Claus, because when they have finished preparing the packages they always fall asleep from exhaustion and Santa Claus comes and takes everything while they are asleep. Nor can he pass on Ari’s letter, because unfortunately the time for requests is now closed.

However, Ari can still send it in time from New York because, thanks to the time difference, Santa Claus’ helpers in the city still have time to forward his request. The chief of the elves give Buckshot 9 names of the reindeer. Ari, Winner and Fox were overjoyed and thanks Buckshot. Ari and his friends return to the Big Apple, find a mailbox and send Ari’s letter. Serpico the great dane shows up and asks Fox to take part on a mission. Ari, Winner and Fox follow Serpico to the Orphanage. There they meet Sister Maria and seeing the Children of the Orphanage. Ari was not happy of what the children do as he wants them to have a Merry Christmas.

Ari, Winner, Fox and Serpico go on a mission to find gangsters and Ari gives a ruby to the gangsters for the money. But the gangsters decides to kill Ari so Winner, Fox and Serpico stop the gangsters and Serpico howls for the dogs to scare the gangsters away. Ari takes the money and ruby so that they can give the Orphanage children a Merry Christmas. They thank Serpico as they are on their way. Sister Maria seeing Christmas decorations a miracle as the Orphanage Children celebrates and she sees the money to buy things for the Orphanage children.

Father Ramirez stops Ari, Winner and Fox and invites them to a Christmas Dinner at St. Patrick's Parish Church. Ari receives a scarf and Fox and Winner receive dog bones. Having taken part in the big Christmas dinner organized for the poor of St. Patrick’s, they decide to wait for Santa Claus to arrive on the steps of the church. The three fall asleep and Santa Claus arrives, granting little Ari’s wishes, and making him spend a wonderful night with his parents.

While little Ari and his parents are building a marvelous snowman, Fox and Winner go to the old meeting place for stray dogs, the Meatball Club, and have a party with their old friends, wolfing down all the hot dogs from a cart that appears from nowhere… The next morning, our three heroes wake up on the steps of the church, convinced that it was all a dream until Ari finds that the snowman he made with his parents is there.

They then find the parcel with the ball Ari had asked Santa Claus to bring for Winner, along with the gift of new glasses for the old owl. In this way, Fox too understands that the feast of hot dogs with his friends was also real and not a dream, and that it was the very present Ari had wished for him. Together they return quickly to Owl to tell him about everything, give him his present and wish him a Merry Christmas.

## Characters

* Ari
* Winner
* Fox
* The Owl
* Fathers Ramirez & O'Neill
* Santa Claus
* Buckshot
* Serpico
* Sister Maria
* Tracy
* Noel
* Angelo
* Miriam
* Arbor