Young Mothers

Directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Belgium
2025
104 mins
The Dardenne brothers (Two Days, One Night, Sydney Film Prize 2014) return with another superbly affecting drama, about five young mothers housed in a Belgian shelter. Winner of Best Screenplay at Cannes.

In their latest work - also one of their most acclaimed - the revered Belgian filmmakers, explore the hopes and vulnerabilities of five young mothers at a shelter in Liège with tender clarity. Jessica craves the acceptance of her own mother, while Perla hopes that a baby will draw her delinquent boyfriend closer. Recovering addict Julie sees a brighter future for herself as a mother alongside her caring fiancé, but Ariane feels desperately unprepared for the challenges ahead. Single mother Naïma, meanwhile, is newly employed and hopes to repair relations with her disapproving family. Working from observations of a real shelter, the Dardennes skilfully interweave these narrative strands into a beautifully observed study of motherhood’s upheaval and the precious fragility of humanity.

Deeply moving but never manipulative, Young Mothers amounts to the Dardenne brothers’ best film in more than a decade.
Peter Debruge, Variety

Tickets

Fri 13 June 2025, 6:30pm
Event George St - Cinema 4
Subtitled
Sat 14 June 2025, 6:15pm
Palace Norton St - Cinema 3
Subtitled
Sun 15 June 2025, 4:15pm
State Library of NSW
Subtitled
  • Program Strand
  • Original Title
    JEUNES MÈRES
  • Year
    2025
  • Classification
    Unclassified 15+
  • Country
    France, Belgium
  • Language
    In French with English subtitles
  • Director
    Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
  • Producer
    Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Delphine Thomson, Denis Freyd
  • Cast
    Babette Verbeek, Lucie Laruelle, Elsa Houben
  • Screenwriter
    Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
  • Cinematographer
    Benoit Dervaux
  • Editor
    Marie-Hélène Dozo
  • Genre
  • Premiere
    Australian Premiere
  • Company Credits
    Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment
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