Santa Claus Is a Stinker

Le père Noël est une ordure, released in English as Santa Claus Is a Stinker, is a 1982 French burlesque comedy directed by Jean-Marie Poiré. Adapted from the 1979 stage play of the same name by the Le Splendid theatre troupe, it stars members of the troupe, including Christian Clavier and Roland Giraud. Now regarded as a cult film, it ironically portrays a Christmas Eve spent in a Paris apartment that hosts a helpline for people in psychological distress or suffering from loneliness.

The story features a gallery of caricatured figures: the association's volunteers, a nearly homeless couple with one partner dressed as Santa Claus, a neighbour from an imaginary Balkan country, and a cross-dressing man facing loneliness and discrimination. Written by Poiré, Josiane Balasko and Marie-Anne Chazel, the film draws inspiration from 1970s Italian comedies by Ettore Scola and Dino Risi.