Makkers, staakt uw wild geraas

'That joyous eve', or as it is called in Dutch: 'Makkers staakt uw wild geraas' (which means something as; 'friends, be quiet', it refers to an old Saint Nicholas' Evening song) is a movie that gives a rather correct image of daily life in The Netherlands around the late fifties and early sixties. Humor and tragic strike three families that are all in preparation of the 'joyous eve', the celebration of Saint Nicholas' Evening, a typical Dutch holiday on December the fifth. It's not a joyous evening for everyone. As one household has to deal with divorce (a strange phenomena in those days), another deals with their rebellious 17 year old son, while the husband and father of the third family searches for a 'joyous eve' outside the house. This movie is a classic and a real Dutch treat, it's been rewarded in 1961 with a 'silver bear' on the filmfestival in Berlin, Germany.