YOUNG MOTHERS (JEUNES MÈRES) Luminaries

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