Nina Gantz directs a surreal seasonal visual for the band Saltend Recovery which was a real family affair - and an impressive marvel of doggie direction.

In the video for Christmas Ambulance, a young man (played by Nina's brother Django) who suffers an illness at Christmas, attempts to escape from its clutches - and ends up becoming a Christmas gift himself, delivered by express canine courier.

Saltend Recovery is a collaboration between Nina Gantz, her husband Terence Dunn, and vocalist Sarah Newington - their debut album is set to arrive early next year - and the video was inspired by the song’s theme of finding moments of light while coping with illness during the holidays.

Gantz wanted to craft a dreamlike world that captures the strange, tender search for Christmas spirit when it feels out of reach. And the production itself became a full-scale family collaboration.

Filmed in and around Gantz’s father’s home in rural France, the shoot also involved her three brothers: Dook, who supplied his extensive miniature Christmas village; Django, freshly graduated from the Amsterdam Theatre School and who stars in the video; and Mickey, who worked as gaffer and spark alongside cinematographer Ali Little. Gantz’s mother provided catering and appears on screen, joined by her step-mother and partner, who also helped with set decoration.

Last but certainly not least, the family dog Djaya delivers a memorable performance in the video: looking stern and displeased at his master's lack of Christmas spirit and eventually delivering him in a box on his back. All this was achieved with  inventive, handmade techniques - from strapping GoPros to Djaya and building a fake dog rig, to borrowing a tractor to lift Nina’s brother mid-air and welding custom attachments to the bucket for their cinematographer Ali Little to hang onto.

The result is a visual that’s playful, poignant and deeply personal, mirroring the spirit of Saltend Recovery’s music.