Slovak premiere

The latest film by brothers Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne – icons of European social realism and two-time Palme d’Or winners for Rosetta (1999) and The Child (2005) – offers an intimate portrait of five teenage girls living in a shelter for young mothers. Jessica, Perla, Julie, Ariane, and Naïma struggle to find stability, love, and dignity in a world that forced them to grow up too quickly. Once again, the Dardenne brothers demonstrate their extraordinary ability to observe human lives without sentimentality, yet with deep empathy and precision.

Young Mothers was Belgium’s submission for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category and had its world premiere in the main competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Screenplay and the Ecumenical Jury Prize.

The directing duo further develops their signature style here – minimalist, understated, and emotionally precise. Instead of dramatic gestures, the film focuses on small everyday decisions, moments of uncertainty, and acts of care that give its characters hope. Young Mothers is a film about motherhood, fragility, and solidarity, but also about the possibility of breaking cycles of neglect and violence passed down through generations. This sensitive mosaic of women’s lives confirms that the Dardenne brothers remain among the most important humanist filmmakers of our time.

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

Sales: Goodfellas

Festival partner of the film: Wallonia Slovakia