The heartbreaking new video for Frank Sinatra’s 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' is a must-watch

9 December 2021, 11:22

Frank Sinatra delivers beautiful performance in recording studio

Ol' Blue Eyes' Christmas standard is given new meaning for our times with a powerful animated video.

'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' is an absolute Christmas classic.

Written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, it was first heard in the 1944 musical Meet Me in St. Louis, being performed by Judy Garland.

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It was later covered by everyone from Bing Crosby and James Taylor to Doris Day and Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra recorded it not once, not twice, but three times.

None of Sinatra's attempts troubled the charts on their release, but it's his version that's become the best known over the years.

Sinatra's 1950 and 1963 singles came long before the advent (ahem) of the music video, but this year directors David Calcaño and Ala Nulu made a stunning animated film to accompany the song, giving it a powerful new meaning in the process.

Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Official Video)

"This video tells the story of those who are starting their lives in new cities while being away from their families during the holiday season," said the official Sinatra Twitter account.

"This touching, emotional animation is dedicated to those who have made this courageous journey."

Specifically, the tender video explores the story of migrants moving from Venezuela to the US, fading from a silhouette of Sinatra into an image of Carlos Cruz Diez's iconic artwork on the floor of Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía.

Director David Calcaño is a Venezuelan now living in Los Angeles, while his co-director Ala Nulu is a Pole now living in Portugal.

"I felt incredibly moved by David’s story," Ala told Caracas Chronicles. "As an immigrant myself I got the connection to the idea of finding your place in the world, and the feeling of nostalgia."

David has worked with Universal on similar projects in recent year's including the 2020 animated video for Nat King Cole’s 'The Christmas Song'.

"When Universal executives saw the video, they started crying," Calcaño said of his new Sinatra film.

“There's a window now for these stories to be told, for minorities and immigrants to tell their own narratives."