Young Mothers
Opens January 16, 2026
Jessica, Perla, Julie, Ariane and Naïma are housed in a shelter for young mothers. Five teenagers hoping for a better life for themselves and their babies.
In a residential shelter in Liège, several teenage mothers face consider what lies ahead: Julie (Elsa Houben), who is battling substance addiction, aspires to move in with her boyfriend; Ariane (Janaina Halloy Fokan), eager to avoid repeating her mother’s missteps, is determined to find an affluent foster home for her baby; Naima (Samia Hilmi) prepares to leave the facility, offering hope that other girls can write new chapters for themselves.
Now in the fifth decade of their shared career, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have finally helmed their first ensemble drama. And while not a deep focus character study, this film still evinces all the hallmarks of their immersive, empathetic approach to social realist cinema. Given the increasingly callous times we find ourselves in, Young Mothers leaves one grateful for the Dardennes’ commitment to honouring those whom society can often overlook.
- Original Language Title: Jeunes mères
- Director: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne
- Principal Cast: Babette Verbeek, Elsa Houben, Janaina Halloy Fokan, Lucie Laruelle, Samia Hilmi
- Country: Belgium, France
- Year: 2025
- Running Time: 105 min.
- Screenplay: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne
- Cinematographers: Benoit Dervaux
- Editors: Marie Hélène Dozo
- Awards: Cannes 2025 (Best Screenplay)
- Filmography: Lorna’s Silence (2008); The Kid with a Bike (2011); Two Days, One Night (2014); The Unknown Girl (2016); Young Ahmed (2019); Tori and Lokita (2022)
- Language: French
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- US Distributor: Music Box Films
- International Sales: Goodfellas