Francophone Film Festival: Young Mothers

Five teenage mothers in a Belgian maternity shelter confront poverty, addiction, and neglect while striving for better futures for themselves and their children, aided by dedicated staff in this realist drama. Set in Alleur, it portrays their raw struggles with humanity and hope.

The RLL department is proud to present the 2026 Francophone Film Festival. Uniting every film is a throughline that explores the theme of global health through a decolonial lens. Through stories of migration, displacement, conflict, motherhood, mental health, and social connections, the festival invites audiences to reflect on the ways health is shaped by culture, place, and community across Francophone countries. Bringing cinema into conversation with questions of global health and social justice, the series invites audiences to rethink what care means in an interconnected world.

Organized by the Romance Languages and Literatures Department with the support of French Connexions Center for Excellence. This festival would not be possible without the support of the 2026-2027 Albertine Cinémathèque Grant. Albertine Cinémathèque is part of the French for All initiative by Villa Albertine – The French Institute for Culture and Education, and Albertine Foundation, and is made possible thanks to the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC) and Unifrance.