Young Mothers

The latest film from the two-time Palme d’Or-winning Dardenne brothers (Rosetta, L’Enfant), Young Mothers is a poignant and compassionate tale of five girls grappling with the challenges of teen parenthood.

Jessica, Perla, Julie, Naïma and Ariane, all of whom have grown up in difficult circumstances, find themselves at a group home in Liège, Belgium, in an attempt to obtain a better life for themselves and their children. The pregnant teens are taught how to take care of their babies, or prepare for adoption, amid drug addiction, mental illness and family conflict.

Working from observations of a real shelter, the Dardennes interweave these narrative strands into a story of motherhood’s upheaval and the precious fragility of humanity.

"There is such simplicity and clarity here, an honest apportioning of dignity and intelligence to everyone on screen: every scene and every character portrait is unforced and unembellished. The straightforward assertion of hope through giving help and asking for help is very powerful."
- Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

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