Gifts of the Heart 2019

Set against the festive backdrop of Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, two brothers, Tom and Niek, run a clothing rental business and oversee their father Niek Sr.’s Sinterklaas operation. Tom is a former soap actor who has stopped taking life seriously, while Niek is a traditional, hardworking family man who is separated from his wife Karin. A transatlantic project arrives in the form of Julia, a beautiful American marketing strategist sent to promote cola during the Sinterklaas festivities, and she partners with the brothers to develop her campaign. Her arrival sets the stage for a complex love triangle between Tom, Niek, and Julia, all while Julia stays with her sister and her sister’s husband and three children during the visit.

Initially, Julia keeps her distance and treats Tom as strictly business, so Tom decides to play the part of the young Santa she wants to see. His first appearance at the arrival of Sinterklaas by boat is met with confusion and a cool reception from Julia and the crowd. The uneasy reception leads Julia to temporarily pause the deal, only to be persuaded by her boss, who is charmed by Niek’s portrayal as a hip, sexy Santa, prompting her to revert to the original plan.

Romance and tension unfold further when Niek and Julia go on a date to discuss expanding the Santa operation, including hiring more Santas. Their meeting is complicated by Karin, Niek’s ex-wife, who happens to be at the same restaurant with another man, Richard. Niek opens up about his divorce and his reluctance to be involved with his ex, which Julia brushes off as marketing when she shares a kiss with him, prompting Karin to leave the table in distress. Meanwhile, Tom is babysitting Lars, Karin and Niek’s child, and keeps texting Julia with fresh marketing ideas—one of which involves a clash between Santa and Sinterklaas. When Tom consoles a distraught Karin after the dinner, she kisses Tom in a heat of moment that Lars witnesses. The trio resolves not to pursue anything further at that time.

The narrative then shifts to a montage of hiring more Santas and expanding the operation, with Karin trying to steer clear of Richard. Niek Sr., the brothers’ father, is visibly grappling with dementia and often wanders the retirement home in moments that echo his days as Sinterklaas, muttering about his horse. Lars, keen to repair his parents’ fractured relationship, asks for a gift that would bring them back together. Tom and Julia share a hotel moment, but they do not spend the night together, and Lars’s wish grows more urgent: he wants his parents to reconcile.

Tom grows increasingly drawn to Julia as she contemplates a return to New York after a potential promotion. As Lars tells his father that he saw Tom and Karin kiss, the family’s wish for harmony looks even more distant. The Sinterklaas day culminates in a staged live televised brawl between Sinterklaas and Santa, with Niek dressed as Sinterklaas fighting his brother, the Santa figure. The fight ends with reconciliation for the brothers, but their father—dressed as Sinterklaas—scolds them for the way they have treated Julia and Karin, urging them to mend their relationships.

In the epilogue, the story resolves with both couples choosing to stay together. The festive season closes on a note of renewed family ties, as Tom, Niek, Julia, Karin, and Lars all find a path forward that blends love, work, and the spirit of Sinterklaas. A colorful, bittersweet comedy-drama about ambition, forgiveness, and the power of family, all set within a Netherlands-wide celebration.