Merle is an eight-year-old girl living in the predominantly Catholic south of the Netherlands. She is preparing for her first Holy Communion. She goes to communion classes to learn about the rituals, the sacraments and the Last Supper, and her family and friends bombard her with questions. While Merle’s friends are mostly interested in the bouncy house and the presents, her grandfather and father talk about the deeper meaning of this initiation rite. What about Merle herself though, the little girl who’s taking it all in with wide-eyed amazement? What does she believe? When it’s over, does she feel closer to Jesus? And what did the sacrament taste like?
Directed by: Eva Nijsten Produced by: Tangerine Tree Category: Documentary Year: 2019