Christmas, in principle, is a time where magic and happiness appear in every corner. The trees, the decorations, the gifts, the snow, the great meals and a long etcetera. However, it can also become a very difficult holiday to overcome. These are dates for family gatherings, reunions, business dinners and group gatherings, and those who have lost a loved one in the previous eleven months may find themselves with a painful reminder.
A theme very present in the first of the three animated short films that make up Nuestra Navidad, a miniseries based on the legendary Christmas carol from Canal Sur. Andalusian public television presented the initiative this past Wednesday, in the program La afternoon,here and Ahora on Juan y Medio. It is an entirely local project, scripted by Manuel Silicia from Granada and drawn by the Rokyn Animation studio, with a 75% Andalusian workforce and an average age of 25 years.
The stories, about five minutes long in their full version, will be available on the Canal Sur Más platform as the days progress. These are starred by Antonio, Lucía and Pablete respectively, who see their perception of the holidays altered after listening to the network’s Christmas carol. The first short is about Antonio, an older and lonely man, who is terrified of spending the holidays alone after losing his life partner.
Throughout the animation, viewers can first see how Antonio avoids any Christmas reference at all costs, hurt by the lack of company. The gift of an AI assistant doesn’t help his case either, disavowing even Christmas carols in the street. It is only when he hears the children sing the Canal Sur song that his face changes, recovering his Christmas spirit and celebrating the holidays with passion, in a tribute to Carmen.
The reduced version of the short film, published on Canal Sur’s social networks, has accumulated more than 160,000 views, as well as 1,700 likes and more than 1,200 reposts. The reactions have shown his emotion at Antonio’s story. “I think we all got a little teary eyed when we saw this ad. They have completely embroidered it,” explained one user. “The best advertisement this Christmas, without a doubt,” said another response.
Nuestra Navidad was broadcast for the first time in 1994, when José Ramón Halcón, Eduardo Piñar and José Luis Pereñíguez devised it as a holiday greeting from the network. Since then, celebrities Rosa López, José Mercé and Pastora Soler have been responsible for singing later versions, turning the song into a hallmark of the community. “People who are not Andalusian and who have never sung Nuestra Navidad on Canal Sur, why do you celebrate Christmas?” asked a user.
