This World: When Martin Sixsmith wrote The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, it inspired 2013's Bafta-winning movie Philomena, and generated fresh interest in the story of the woman who was forced by the Catholic Church to give up her son Anthony for adoption. In this film, Martin investigates the Irish Catholic Church's role in a trade that saw thousands of 'illegitimate' children taken from their mothers and sent abroad. In Ireland and America, he hears the touching stories of lives that were changed for ever. He also discovers some of the tragic consequences which occurred when prospective parents were not properly vetted, and witnesses the struggle of a mother and child separated by continents who hope to find each other before time runs out.

Starring:

Andrew Neil, Emily Maitlis

Genre:

Documentary