First Communion
Factual
Video:
)
Information:
1 x 60mins
With unique access to Holy Communion season, this specialist doc goes behind the glitz and glamour of the occasion to meet the families for their child’s big day.
Every year thousands of 6 and 7 year olds across the UK are welcomed into... the Catholic church - it’s a huge moment for them. The celebrations around the service get bigger and more elaborate every year with £1000 dresses, big family parties, tanning salons, limos and fake nails all the order of the day - but is this at the expense of the religious meaning?
This film brings privileged access to a fascinating, unseen world, as we follow the emotional rollercoaster of Holy Communion Season from October to July through the eyes and experience of the children themselves. Months of hard work go into preparing the children to commit to the Catholic Faith and receive the Eucharist for the first time.
Running parallel are the parents’ preparations - outfits for everyone and a party for all. It’s as big a day as Christmas. We will cast children and their families from diverse backgrounds and follow them over the 8 months of preparation from communities in Northern Ireland, Liverpool and Birmingham. Alongside them will be the supporting cast of teachers, dressmakers, priests and party planners all working to make this a day they will never forget.
First Communion is a moment that brings together home, church and school in a way never experienced again – but it’s one that is rapidly changing and is taking place against a backdrop of immense challenge for the Church in the UK.
Attendance has plummeted since Covid and there are so few priests that there’s no one to take the service. But this is the Church’s last chance to get another generation into the pews..
There’s a real tension at the heart of this story. As the expense - and debt - around dresses, parties and outfits increases, the priests and teachers supporting the children feel deeply conflicted about how that is impacting on the true meaning of the day.
How much are the children caught up in the celebrations - where they can be given hundreds of pounds from family and friends – and how much do they understand the real significance? For many families this is a rite of passage for their child, a chance for some kind of new, more secular celebration.
Communion Stories is about modern families and what religion means to them now. Through our multi-generational characters, we explore its changing role across the UK and understand it from a child’s POV. Cast for real heart, humour and warmth, this beautiful-looking ob-doc will combine intimate actuality, glossy GVs and inviting master interviews.
Read More | Download flyer
Every year thousands of 6 and 7 year olds across the UK are welcomed into... the Catholic church - it’s a huge moment for them. The celebrations around the service get bigger and more elaborate every year with £1000 dresses, big family parties, tanning salons, limos and fake nails all the order of the day - but is this at the expense of the religious meaning?
This film brings privileged access to a fascinating, unseen world, as we follow the emotional rollercoaster of Holy Communion Season from October to July through the eyes and experience of the children themselves. Months of hard work go into preparing the children to commit to the Catholic Faith and receive the Eucharist for the first time.
Running parallel are the parents’ preparations - outfits for everyone and a party for all. It’s as big a day as Christmas. We will cast children and their families from diverse backgrounds and follow them over the 8 months of preparation from communities in Northern Ireland, Liverpool and Birmingham. Alongside them will be the supporting cast of teachers, dressmakers, priests and party planners all working to make this a day they will never forget.
First Communion is a moment that brings together home, church and school in a way never experienced again – but it’s one that is rapidly changing and is taking place against a backdrop of immense challenge for the Church in the UK.
Attendance has plummeted since Covid and there are so few priests that there’s no one to take the service. But this is the Church’s last chance to get another generation into the pews..
There’s a real tension at the heart of this story. As the expense - and debt - around dresses, parties and outfits increases, the priests and teachers supporting the children feel deeply conflicted about how that is impacting on the true meaning of the day.
How much are the children caught up in the celebrations - where they can be given hundreds of pounds from family and friends – and how much do they understand the real significance? For many families this is a rite of passage for their child, a chance for some kind of new, more secular celebration.
Communion Stories is about modern families and what religion means to them now. Through our multi-generational characters, we explore its changing role across the UK and understand it from a child’s POV. Cast for real heart, humour and warmth, this beautiful-looking ob-doc will combine intimate actuality, glossy GVs and inviting master interviews.
Read More | Download flyer
Produced By: Walk On Air Films
Broadcaster: BBC 2 | Year of Production: 2024
You may also like:
