The classic story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph of Nazareth set in the eastern-Dutch region of Twente, and - except for the heavily accented Dutch narration - told in the local variety of the Low Saxon/Low German language.
Kroamskudden is the old Twents practice of visiting and congratulating the family of a new-born child by bringing lots of food, and Mariaparochie (Mary's Parish) is a hamlet just north of Almelo, the hometown of Herman Finkers.
Originally published in 1988, this short animation quickly propelled to fame the rising star (pun intended) of Herman Finkers, a Dutch comedian from the aforementioned region. Within Twente, mostly, of course. The short film reached such cult status that a local TV station has since aired it every Christmas. And thousands still sit down to watch it every year. The witty quotes from the film have become staple expressions within the local language.
Finkers is a language genius, and the exchanges in the animation capture the unique, dry-witted humour of the region perfectly. Though hilarious for those familiar with the language, his clever wordplay and literal interpretation of metaphors are hard to translate.
In Finkers-logic, the Wise Men from the East speak German, for instance, as Twente borders on Germany to the east. And when they ask for directions to find Joseph of David, the farmer they meet only knows Joseph by his local nickname, and refers them to a one-star hotel. An obvious biblical reference, to those familiar with the original story.
The animations are a bit erratic at times, and it is clear that John Croezen is more of an illustrator than an animator, but the visuals still support the jokes quite well, for which Finkers is the sole voice actor.
If you're interested in learning a thing or two about local Twents culture and have a few good laughs (that is, if you understand Dutch and Low Saxon), Kroamskudd'n in Mariaparochie is a must-watch.