Young Mothers

12A

At a state shelter for teenage mothers in the eastern Belgian city of Liège, young women are taught how to care for their newborns, make contact with adoptive parents, deal with depression and survive in an uncaring world. Naïma is excitedly preparing to move on to a new life; Perla wants her child’s father to face his responsibilities; Julie is trying to overcome addiction and become a hairdresser; Jessica wants to reach out to her birth mother; and Ariane will do anything to shield her baby from ever knowing its abusive, manipulative grandmother.

Social-realist filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Two Days, One Night) author another empathetic dramatic portrayal of young people battling to maintain their dignity in the face of an oft-hostile society.

Winner of Best Screenplay and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival – where the pair previously claimed the Palme d’Or twice over, for Rosetta and The Child) – this is a profound and humanistic work from two of the most meticulous and consistent filmmakers of this century.