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Love Actually is one of those movies that DStv is not afraid to show on repeat.

I suppose it’s easy background watching, and there are a number of feelgood scenes that make it near impossible not to crack a little grin, including some emotional airport reunions.

This week, we were treated to some really heartwarming scenes in New Zealand, on the first day of what has been dubbed the trans-Tasman travel “bubble” with Australia.

After more than a year of being separated from loved ones, footage of smiling, teary-eyed hugs made for obvious comparisons.

This from The Guardian:

So it went all afternoon. A never-ending stream of emotional airport scenes, as though someone had organised a mass re-enactment of Love Actually’s opening montage. It was hard not to be moved. Not only by the reunions but also by the deep link these two island nations share…

Both Auckland airport and the airlines supplying the flights had put a lot of work into manufacturing this media moment – an acoustic band played the same Dave Dobbyn song on repeat all afternoon (Welcome home / I bid you welcome / I bid you welcome) and Jetstar served champagne in the departures lounge – possibly a budget airline world-first – before the first flight to leave Sydney.

As manufactured as certain elements were, the raw emotions on display were anything but:

Still not enough to warm your cold, thawed heart? I doubt you’ll make it through this footage:

It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

So beautiful that I will put aside my contempt for British rag The Sun to share their video with you:

If none of that tugs on a heartstring or two, I suggest you seek help.

[source:guardian]