Consumption is the mirror of an internal desert. The sense of Christmas depends on the concept of existence and the value of man. It is a wait for a courageous message to try and give meaning to life. The profound reflection is voiced by the Cardinal and Patriarch of Venice, Angelo Scola.

Does Christmas equal consumption? Or is it that on Christmas I consume therefore I am? Is Christmas an excuse for consumption? Or Christmas and consumption have little to do with each other, really? We explore that primal instinct, from the Dickensian Christmas to the current credit-card-swiping holiday season.

Films have always mirrored society in the U.S.: from Frank Capra to George Cukor, through Robert Flaherty and his documentaries. The sense of change, the transition from poverty to riches, comfort and high consumption has been repeatedly depicted on the big screen.