Synopsis

Aaliyah moves between a sunlit contemporary neighborhood and the animated world of Anastasia, linking the song's themes of memory, identity, and finding home. She sings among children, snowy Russian landscapes, and familiar scenes from the film, including the ballroom sequence, the Eiffel Tower, and the Russian ballet. The live-action footage is woven into the animation so that Aaliyah appears to accompany Anastasia on her search for family and belonging. The video closes above St. Petersburg, overlooking Anastasia's reunion and future with Dimitri.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Journey to the Past" was written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty for the 1997 animated film Anastasia. Aaliyah recorded a pop and R&B interpretation for the soundtrack, while Liz Callaway performed the version heard in the film itself.

• The video was designed as a crossover between a conventional Aaliyah performance clip and a promotional piece for Anastasia. Its central visual idea is the movement between the present-day world and the film's 1920s Russia.

• Aaliyah's version was released as a soundtrack single in the late 1990s and helped give the song an audience beyond the film. The soundtrack version was produced by Guy Roche.

• Aaliyah performed "Journey to the Past" at the 70th Academy Awards on March 23, 1998. The song was nominated for Best Original Song, but lost to "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic.

• The music video was later included on the 2006 DVD release Anastasia: Family Fun Edition, alongside a featurette about Aaliyah recording the song. The reissued video also included a dedication to Aaliyah, who died in 2001.