Die Sekretärin des Weihnachtsmanns (1999)

This year, for the first time, Marlène Veber is working alongside many other volunteers in a special department of the post office, where letters written by children to Santa Claus are received. Before that, she had also dealt with children in her candy shop, and had always taken a special liking to them. So she is especially touched by the letter from little Céline, who is in hospital with a broken leg after a car accident. She lost her mother in the accident and asks Santa Claus to send her her father, so she can live with him and not have to go into a home. Marlène visits the child in the hospital and pretends to be Santa’s secretary, to give Céline a little hope that her request has been heard. But that is not enough for the girl. Céline refuses to leave the hospital until her father comes to pick her up. So kind-hearted Marlène has no choice but to find the child’s father, whose identity no one knows. Sébastien Roche helps her with the search. She had met him during another attempt to grant a child’s Christmas wish. Sébastien is an unemployed watchmaker, and having something to do is a welcome change for him. But the task proves more difficult than expected, because Céline’s mother had led a lively life and traveled all over the world. Her neighbor Christian, who has known the girl since she was born and has a good relationship with her, would like to take her in, but Céline is firmly convinced that Sébastien is her father and will soon take her home, after visiting her at the hospital with Marlène. Since she tells everyone at the clinic this so emphatically, they are all convinced it is true. Marlène tries to persuade Sébastien to play along with this “game” for Céline’s sake and actually take her in. When Céline still has not been picked up by Christmas, she runs away from the hospital. Sébastien now has no choice but to have himself registered as her biological father. But a DNA test is to be carried out before a final decision is made. To avoid this, Marlène uses a legal trick so the test does not have to be done. The guardianship judge sees through the story, but is willing to turn a blind eye for the child’s happiness. During all this, Marlène and Sébastien have also spent a lot of time together and grown closer. They decide to move in together and be good parents to Céline.