Jeunes Mères
The Dardenne Brothers’ latest ensemble drama centres around a group of girls under the care of a ‘maternal assistance’ home in Liège and representing very different instances of children bringing children into the world.
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne got their start making short documentaries set in working-class housing projects. They then brought that same observational approach with them to their fiction features, reflected in the long-take handheld camerawork, gritty street-level locations and casting of non-professional actors that have become their signature. The two-time Palme d'Or winners’ new film centres upon five young women in a home for young expectant mothers, working for a better life for themselves. Far from bleak or depressing, the uplifting script evokes a real sense of community, as the characters support one another, taking turns preparing meals, and stepping in when one of them is overwhelmed. ‘Young Mothers’ celebrates an institution where supportive yet firm social workers are available around the clock to serve as exactly the kind of role models its residents lacked in their own lives. This must-see slice of social realism received a 10-minute standing ovation in Cannes this year. (Subtitles)
France/Belgium 2025 Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne 105m