In preparation of a film about a young woman’s struggle to bond with her baby, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne visit a shelter near Liège, home to primarily underage mothers and expectant mothers. Deeply moved by the sense of communal life they have witnessed there, they decide to change the project in the making. The result is Young Mothers, which, unlike their earlier films, has a multi-character structure. That is how the Dardenne brothers describe the genesis of their new film in the interviews they have given.

The story focuses on the lives of four young women who, while grappling with poverty, domestic violence, and addiction, are also trying to adapt to the role of motherhood. True to the Dardennes’ tradition of social realism, Young Mothers does not try to conceal or soften life’s harsh truths. Yet the spirit of communal living and solidarity that inspired the directors to make the film in the first place still offers a glimmer of hope.

Cannes 2025

Best Screenplay