Movie recommendations 2025
What does the IDM team recommend you to watch during the holidays?
Looking for a new cinematic adventure? Whether you’re drawn to political thrillers, heartfelt dramas, or cultural documentaries, the holiday season is the perfect time to explore the rich cultural tapestry of Central Europe and the Danube Region.
From documentaries to fiction, historical events to social issues, our team suggests you films and television series to learn more about the vibrant region that IDM focuses on. Discover all our 2025 recommendations below.
Sebastian Schäffer, Director
Flavours of Moldova
Three visually rich episodes present Moldova’s landscapes, villages, monasteries, wineries and food culture, focusing on people, small entrepreneurs and traditions rather than politics or conflict. It is perfect holiday‑season viewing to discover one of my favourite countries through travel, gastronomy and everyday stories. Make sure you listen to the banger of a song in the trailer!
Rebecca Thorne
A Real Pain
Two cousins travel through Poland together in honour of their grandmother. Yes, Benji is annoying, but he is also enviably confident and charming. And struggling with life. David, meanwhile, is a reserved and socially awkward family man. As they visit memorials of Jewish history, past and present bring emotions to the surface. Jesse Eisenberg wrote, directed and acted in this serious comedy, which has won and been nominated for multiple awards. Like the character he plays, Eisenberg has Polish Jewish heritage.
Péter Techet
Fiume O Morte
The eccentric Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio marched into the former Hungarian port city of Fiume (Rijeka) in 1919 with a mixed group of soldiers and dreamers, determined to declare his own state. The episode, which lasted for more than a year, remains one of the strangest moments in Central European history. Was the occupation an early sign of fascism? Was Fiume an anarchist experiment, with nudism and legalized drugs? Or was it simply a stage set for D’Annunzio, who liked to parade through the city each day wearing costumes borrowed from the local theatre?
The Croatian director Igor Bezinović asked today’s residents of Rijeka to re-enact these events, creating a surreal film that honours the city’s varied history while making D’Annunzio’s project seem rather ridiculous. It is certainly not a Christmas story – Christmas in 1920 under D’Annunzio became known as ‘Bloody Christmas’ (natale di sangue) because of the violent clashes between his forces and Italy.
Malwina Talik
Good Home (Dom dobry)
The beginning of the trailer may paint a picture of a perfect couple, but the movie tells the story of how domestic violence can creep into what is seen as a ‘good household’ of local elites. Similar to films such as Blind Chance (1987) by Kieślowski, it presents two parallel storylines depending on whether the victim decides to take action or to stay.
The movie, counted among the most watched and discussed in Poland in 2025, sparked a heated debate about domestic violence, society’s tendency to turn a blind eye, and the limits of law enforcement, especially in ‘respectable’ households. This public attention encouraged more victims to seek help. It is also occasionally screened in cinemas abroad, including in Austria.
Perhaps best not to watch over Christmas itself…
Júlia Mits
Minden csillag (Stars of Little Importance)
The story is about nostalgia, exploring the idea of homecoming. It portrays an evening that many of us may have experienced after turning thirty. Two siblings return home for Christmas and reunite with old friends and former loves. During a pálinka-fuelled night, it becomes clear that nothing is the same as it once was. In their abandoned hometown, they begin to question whether this is the life they wanted as adults.
Renátó Olasz’s debut feature film marks his first work as both writer and director, and also sees him in one of the leading roles. The movie was made exclusively from crowdfunding in Hungary. Béla Tarr, director and producer of many well-known cinematic works, also attached his name to the project as an executive producer.
William Einem
Honeyland (Медена земја)
Honeyland is a slow and quiet documentary that pulls you into a different way of life. It follows one of the last keepers of wild bees in Europe: a Macedonian beekeeper who lives in the village of Bekirlija in the municipality of Lozovo. Portraying how humans shape and disrupt their environment, the movie is built around the idea: take half of the honey, but leave half to the bees.
Faustine Boudaud
Quo Vadis Aida ?
Aida, a Bosnian schoolteacher, works as a translator for the UN peacekeepers deployed in Srebrenica to protect the territory in 1995. As the Serbian forces advance, thousands of civilians seek refuge at the UN base, which is rapidly overwhelmed. The film reminds us of the Srebrenica massacre, a crime against humanity committed in an area that was supposedly secured by the UN. Blending personal tragedy with historical events, it powerfully reveals the human cost of war, the limits of international institutions, the weight of responsibility, and the resilience of civilians in the face of war.
Sophia Beiter
Family Therapy (Odrešitev za začetnike)
Family therapy follows a wealthy family whose seemingly perfect life is disrupted when the son from a previous relationship enters their home, exposing underlying tensions along with the fragility and dysfunctionality of family life. As secrets, desires, problems and double standards come to light, their world starts to crumble. The film is a dark but also very humorous and absurd comedy with many unexpected turns. It was screened in Vienna at the beginning of 2025 during the European Film Festival.
