BBC - My First Communion (2020)
We follow four little girls - Molly, Mia, Helena and Isla - in the months leading up to their First Holy Communion, a day they will never forget.
Each year, around 8,000 children in Scotland make their First Holy Communion. This rite of passage brings with it months of preparations, dress shopping, party planning and religious instruction.
In Coatbridge, Mia is determined her First Communion won’t be her last. She has enrolled to take communion with her parish priest Father Sweeney but, on her big day, the nerves set in. Mia’s best friend Molly will be wearing her mum’s wedding dress for her First Communion. Over six weeks, it will undergo a transformation as Molly and mum Karen make the design decisions, while Grandad gets emotional.
In a rural school in the Highlands, it’s the first day of communion lessons for the Primary 4 class. Helena’s Spanish granny is determined not to miss mass, headteacher Miss Smith runs the class through rehearsals before the day, and Father Roddy lets the children taste the altar bread for the first time.
In Glasgow, in the shop with the biggest selection of communion dresses in the UK, hundreds of girls come to find the perfect dress, assisted by their mums and grannies – and there are some exciting new arrivals in store too.
In Linwood, 11-year-old Isla’s family thought this was a day they would never see; it’s like a miracle. Along the way, we meet the family members, teachers, priests and catechists who guide, instruct and accompany the children. Through tears and excitement, interviews with the children and their own video diaries, each moment is another milestone on a personal journey as we go behind the scenes of their First Holy Communion.
Full Version Available Upon Request
Related Documentary