Behind the Veil: Nuns - Part 1

Behind the Veil: Nuns - Part 1 and Part 2 record from a global perspective the turbulent history and remarkable achievements of women in religion, from pre-Christian Celtic communities to the radical sisters of the 1980s. Filmed in Ireland, Canada, the United States and Italy, Part 1 contrasts the experiences of contemporary active nuns, living and working amidst poverty and crime, with the story of a young woman whose search for spirituality led her to a monastery near Rome. The film explores some of the roots of the paternalistic attitudes that have dominated the Catholic Church almost since its inception and the resultant denigration and sometimes persecution of religious women. Part 1 ends with contemporary nuns voicing their feelings about love and sexuality.