The Child (French: L'Enfant) is a 2005 Belgian drama film directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. The story revolves around Bruno, a young man living in the Belgian city of Seraing with his girlfriend Sonia. Bruno is part of a gang that involves in small-time thievery to make a living. Sonia is quite content living off her welfare benefits, while Bruno is lazy and does not want to work.
One day, Sonia gives birth to a baby boy. Despite Bruno's initial indifference towards the child, he slowly begins to bond with him and takes pride in being a father. However, the couple soon realizes that they can sell the baby to child traffickers for a handsome sum of money. Desperate for money, Bruno decides to go ahead with the plan and hands over the infant to an intermediary.
Sonia is devastated by the loss of her child and urges Bruno to bring him back. Bruno realizes the gravity of his mistake and begins to frantically search for the baby. He eventually tracks down the trafficker and after a tense altercation, gets the child back. In the end, Bruno reunites with Sonia and the baby, and they seem to have come to terms with their difficult life.
The film was critically acclaimed for its raw, realistic depiction of poverty, desperation, and moral ambiguity of the characters. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006. The Child is often regarded as one of the best films of the 2000s.