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The is a New York drama with such a relaxed pace that it required a decade to reach the UK’s cinema screens. Initially unveiled in the US in 2015, it’s a micro-budget first feature from first-time director Charles Poekel, taking place largely on a 24-hour pop-up Christmas tree stall. Poekel’s style remains decidedly genuinely independent and naturalistic to get slushy or sentimental about Christmas; through his lens Christmas tree lights blink like police lights. But in its own low-key way, he positions the movie perfectly for a modest dose of festive warmth.

The Weary Seller Amid the Brooklyn Cold

Kentucker Audley stars as Noel (someone had in the film to joke about his name before I twigged). Noel returns for his fifth year selling Christmas trees in Brooklyn, standing outside in the freezing cold and sleeping in a barely warmer caravan parked next to the trees. A few customers ask about the girl assisting him last year. But this year Noel works solo, heartbroken and on the night shift.

There’s an observational quality to a lot of the scenes, with customers asking pointless random questions. One woman requests the same Christmas tree as the Obamas (the story is set in 2014). Noel looks numb with cold physically and emotionally; he’s exhausted and disenchanted, though Audley’s understated acting makes it clear that he hadn't always been like this.

Understated Encounters and Flickers of Connection

Frankly, the plot is minimal. Noel comes to the aid of a woman, Lydia (Hannah Gross), who has passed out drunk on a bench. She pops up again later in truly poignant scenes as Noel travels through New York, making tree deliveries – and these sequences could spark a little flicker of good cheer in the grinchiest of hearts. Poekel has not directed a feature since this, which is a shame – you can’t beat it for authenticity and fluidity, and it’s filmed on beautifully grainy 16mm film.

A picture of understated appeal and real atmosphere, portraying the loneliness and fleeting connection of the season.

Christmas, Again arrives in UK cinemas from 12 December.