YOUNG MOTHERS (JEUNES MÈRES) Luminaries

YOUNG MOTHERS (JEUNES MÈRES)

From celebrated Belgian auteurs Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne comes a deeply compassionate and finely observed feature that continues the Dardennes’ mastery of empathetic, socially engaged cinema. Widening their signature lens to encompass a multiple character story, YOUNG MOTHERS focuses on a quintet of teenage mothers — or mothers-to-be, living in a maternal group home in Liège. Each young woman faces a unique constellation of challenges — from abandonment and fractured family ties to toxic relationships, substance dependency in addition to all the daunting realities of learning to parent at such a tender age. Yet within the home’s walls, a fragile but vital sense of community emerges. With guidance from dedicated social workers, the girls navigate moments of conflict, resilience and unexpected joy — discovering the transformative power of mutual support. Featuring a remarkable ensemble of mostly non-professional actors, this tender and intimate drama earned both the Best Screenplay award and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival. –Mimi Brody

Jean-Pierre Dardenne was born in Engis, Belgium in April 1951, and Luc Dardenne was born in Awirs, Belgium in March 1954. They have directed many feature films together, including LA PROMESSE (1996) and ROSETTA (1999). In 1994, they created Les Films du Fleuve production company.

Kyle Westphal
Music Box Films
kwestphal@musicboxfilms.com

MEMBERS & PASSHOLDERS

Screenings

October 23, 6:15 p.m.

Chinese 3

Details

Country: Belgium, France

Year: 2025

Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Screenwriters: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Producers: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd, Delphine Tomson

Director of Photography: Benoit Dervaux

Editor: Marie-Hélène Dozo

Production Designer: Igor Gabriel

Costume Designer: Dorothée Guiraud

Cast/Featuring: Babette Verbeek, Elsa Houben, Janaina Halloy Fokan, Lucie Laruelle, Samia Hilmi

Running Time (minutes): 104

Language: French

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