Winky’s Horse is a 2005 Dutch-Belgian drama film about Sinterklaas, directed by Mischa Kamp and produced by Burny Bos. It was written by Tamara Bos, based on her 2002 book Winky en het paard van Sinterklaas. The film tells the story of Winky Wong, a young girl whose family has recently moved from China to the Netherlands. As she adjusts to her new life, she becomes fascinated by horses. When she learns about Sinterklaas, she hopes to get a horse from him that holiday season.

Six-year-old Winky Wong and her mother move from China to the Netherlands to join her father, who runs a Chinese restaurant. There, Winky meets the restaurant’s delivery driver, Samir, and his girlfriend, Sofie. Although she’s happy to be with her father again, Winky finds it hard to learn the language and adjust to the new culture.

After a tough first day at school, Winky finds a pony named Saartje and becomes friends with its owners, Tante Cor and Oom Siem. She visits the pony often, and the pony grows to like her. Winky asks if they can teach her how to ride, and they agree. But her parents say no because they think riding a pony is too dangerous. At school, Winky learns about the Sinterklaas holiday and its traditions.

Winky’s mother later gets a call about her own sick mother and returns to China. Feeling sad and missing her, Winky goes to visit Saartje for comfort. But when she returns with her friend Maaike, Siem tells them that the pony had to be put to sleep because she was very old and sick. Winky is heartbroken and deeply upset.

A few weeks later, Winky’s class learns that Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pieten will be arriving in the village for the annual parade, and they are all invited to attend. Still sad about losing Saartje and knowing her parents won’t get her a horse, Winky decides to ask Sinterklaas for one. She draws a picture of a horse as her wish. When her father refuses to take her to the parade, Samir brings her instead. But during the event, he is unable to give Sinterklaas the drawing.

After another try to send her wish when her father almost trips over a shoe left for Zwarte Piet—Winky sees a poster saying Sinterklaas will visit a department store. Thinking he is the real Sinterklaas, Winky goes there and asks him for a horse. The store Sinterklaas kindly tells her to wait until 5 December and says everything will be okay. When that day comes, Winky’s mother comes back home from China.

Sinterklaas visits Winky’s school to give gifts to the children. When it’s Winky’s turn, she feels disappointed and upset when he gives her a stuffed dog instead of a real horse. Hurt and frustrated, she runs out of the classroom. As she leaves, she sees a real horse tied to her bicycle. Winky believes it’s a gift from Sinterklaas and happily rides away on it.

Later, Sinterklaas finds out that his horse, Amerigo, is missing. He soon realizes that Winky took him and goes to her house. When he finds her, he explains that it was a mistake. Winky doesn’t want to give the horse back, but after talking with Samir, she agrees and returns Amerigo.

The next day, Sinterklaas visits Winky again and tells her that she can take care of Amerigo at Cor and Siem’s stable while he is in Spain. Winky is overjoyed. As she rides Amerigo happily, with Sinterklaas and her parents waving, she finally understands what the Netherlands and Sinterklaas mean to her and her family.

Director Mischa Kamp was the main creative leader behind Winky’s Horse. She helped make Winky’s Horse feel real and emotional. She brought out strong performances from the child actors, especially in showing Winky’s feelings of loneliness, hope, and joy. Her sensitive and thoughtful approach helped the film connect with both children and adults, making it a memorable and award winning family film.

The Director’s Statement, “Winky’s story, about a young Chinese girl learning to live in a completely new culture, is a story that many people can relate to. It shows the challenges of starting over in a place that can feel strange or unkind. Through Winky’s eyes, we see the funny moments, the need for love and friendship, and the sadness of feeling left out—things that many immigrants go through. But Winky’s open heart and curiosity give her the strength to keep going, no matter what.”

Ebbie Tam as Winky Wong the main character, in Winky’s Horse. Ebbie Tam’s performance captures Winky’s feelings of confusion, sadness, and wonder as she adjusts to a new country, language, and culture. She shows Winky’s deep love for animals—especially horses—and her strong hope of getting a horse of her own. She brings warmth and honesty to the role, making Winky’s emotional journey believable and touching. Her natural acting helps the audience connect with the challenges and dreams of a young immigrant child trying to find her place in a new world.

In 2005, Winky’s Horse received several honors at the Netherlands Film Festival. Tamara Bos won the Golden Calf for Best Script, recognizing her heartfelt and well-crafted screenplay. Director Mischa Kamp was awarded the MovieSquad Junior Award, chosen by a youth jury. The film was also nominated for Best Feature Film, with producers Burny Bos, Michiel de Rooij, and Sabine Veenendaal recognized. Additionally, Mamoun Elyounoussi earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, highlighting the strength of the film’s performances.

The film was released in the Netherlands by Warner Bros. Pictures on 12 October 2005 and was re-released the following year. It received positive reviews from critics and earned several awards and nominations. It won the Golden Calf for Best Script of a Feature Film and received a Golden Film award for reaching 100,000 visitors.

Photos courtesy Google. Excerpts taken from Google.