The Merchants of Joy (2025) ‘DOC NYC’ Documentary Review: A Dewy-Eyed Film about Christmas Tree Sellers that Leans Heavily on the Magical Festive Spirit

Christmas has been such a big part of pop culture that we may have some memories of this festival, whether we celebrate it or not. It is embedded in most of our minds as an occasion when everyone is happy being together. So, in a culture nearly defined by its stark individualism, the communal sense of joy feels almost radical. It’s as if the act of caring for each other’s well-being is a central part of the religion, even if people who follow it seem to have forgotten that in spirit. People long for every cliche you can recall about the cozy warmth on a winter night during this festival. So, there’s always more joy than cynicism, as people seem more open to spreading joy than they usually would.

Celia Aniskovich’s new documentary, “The Merchants of Joy,” centres on the same joy shared by the Christmas tree sellers in New York. The film, based on Owen Long’s article about these vendors, mainly follows five families who have been in this business for at least a few decades. Some of them have reached the dawn of their lives and are on their way to retirement. While hoping to step down from their positions, they guide their children and pupils about the industry so they can sustain the business in the long run.

Since it’s a business, they are driven by the thought of trade and profit margins. So, even in this documentary, most of them do not share any information about where they source the trees from or how much they acquire them for. Those details remain confidential, and they hold on to them as their trade secrets. Since they are part of this capitalist system, they are competitors when it comes to their profession, but that competition doesn’t define their mutual relationship. They seem more devoted to the communal spirit of the festival than to beating others in the game. That’s why there is a healthy camaraderie between them.

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Aniskovich’s film shows members of these five families sharing details about the background of their individual pasts in this business. They also have a similarly strained professional bond with one businessman, who refused to take part in the documentary. We only hear his voice, sharing why he doesn’t want to entertain any queries. Regardless of his qualms, other business owners reveal why they started working on this business and what keeps them going. Their testimonies paint an entertaining portrait of their personalities, whether shy or vibrant, which makes it worthwhile to stick with them till the end.

One of these family patriarchs is heading toward retirement because of ageing, which makes him physically incapable of sustaining the burden of yearly duties. After all, these sellers need to stand beyond their stalls for most of their waking hours and ensure that they are physically and emotionally ready to greet and deal with the customers. It’s painful to see the said patriarch departing from the work he clearly loves. He is willing to dress up as Santa Claus if it means making someone else’s day better.

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Another seller is rather curt and fiery, but her energy keeps the shop running. The doc also shows how she doesn’t mind hiring people who desperately need a second chance in their lives to bounce back and make it better. The film is impressive during these casual moments that display the sellers’ big hearts and or the ones with lighthearted humor.

While there are plenty of naturalistic moments that pull you closer to their emotional lives, there is also a part that you can’t help but find manufactured. The whole film feels more like an advertorial for their businesses that wants to paint a picture of them in only a certain way. That doesn’t mean they must have dirt on them, but an overwhelming amount focuses their compassionate nature, leaving no room for a more honest understanding of their lives, almost as if we like these characters only because we are exposed only to their likable sides.

There is also a part toward the film’s end that feels straight out of an advertorial textbook, showing happy faces of people with cheerful music. These bits that appear like usual festive marketing material overshadow genuinely tender moments where people value human interaction without any pretense, with kind-hearted gestures that are selfless and are not laced with underlying motives. Overall, the film relies more on Christmas magic to engage you in its stories instead of a deeper insight into their business practices.

‘The Merchants of Joy’ is part of the 2025 DOC NYC Film Festival & will soon be available to watch on Prime Video.

The Merchants of Joy (2025) Documentary Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd
The Merchants of Joy (2025) Runtime: 1h 30m, Genre: Documentary/Holiday

Where to watch The Merchants of Joy