Les Fleurs amères

The IMDB plot summary tells more than enough, if not too much. Let me add that the lead actress is superb; you really feel her misery and shame. And let me reassure you that the movie is not as unrelentingly grim as this sort of movie can be -- like the Swedish movie 'Lilya 4-Ever', for instance.

The Belgian filmmaker Olivier Meys told us that he was influenced by the films of the Dardenne brothers (also Belgians) whose films (La Promesse, Rosetta, etc.) focus on working class people in tough situations. If you are not familiar with them, there is also some similarity of outlook and approach to the British film director Ken Loach. Regardless of influences, however, the movie is excellent and well worth going out of your way to see.