The Young Mother's Home

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are unsurpassed masters of social cinema and their homeland Belgium, as well as the whole world, must be so proud of them for their masterpieces. This time they filmed in a maternity house in Alleur, outside Liege, a place that shelters teenage mothers before and after giving birth. This documentary-like film tells us the stories of 5 very young mothers that struggle to survive and keep sanity in their harsh circumstances. Each story is different, but all of them are heartbreaking and painful. The Dardenne brothers manage to keep it real, but at the same time they offer a ray of hope both to the mothers, their babies and us who are watching. Amazing script and brilliant acting! Bravo!

Set in the maternity home in Alleur, Belgium, this top level film tells the story of five young mothers in distress and their bitter struggle to get out of the rut, with the help of the dedicated staff at their shelter.

It is a quasi-documentary film, very grounded in reality but also deeply humane, carried by five young actresses (some making their debut) who have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into their roles.

The Dardenne brothers' cinema, once excruciatingly naturalistic (the accumulation of misfortunes in "Rosetta" was truly unbearable), has lost today none of its harshness but has gained in brightness. Society may be cruel to some of its children, but some of its members are there to lend a helping hand.

All in all, this is a work that makes the heart beat with anxiety and compassion, but also with hope.