Hungarian Day at Transilvania IFF.24

In Growing Down (dir. Bálint Dániel Sós), a father faces a difficult moral choice: should he lie about a car accident caused by his 12-year-old son, or tell the truth and try to shield him from the consequences? Premiered at the Berlinale in the Perspectives section for debut films, this intense family drama explores guilt, loyalty, and personal responsibility.

The Hungarian box office hit How Could I Live Without You (dir. Dénes Orosz) is a nostalgic exploration of love and friendship, showing how the past continues to shape the present in unexpected ways. After discovering a hidden bundle of letters in her parents' apartment, Lili finds herself immersed in a love story set in the summer of the 1990s on the shores of Lake Balaton.

Beyond Rock Bottom (dir. Ádám Miklós) is a gripping documentary following Boróka and Szilveszter, two young people undergoing profound personal transformation as they attempt to overcome addiction and trauma. At a Budapest rehab center run by former addicts turned mentors, traditional therapy is replaced with innovative practices — including rock climbing — offering participants a radically new path to healing.

Lesson Learned, the feature film debut of director Bálint Szimler, awarded at Locarno, is a raw, realistic drama delving into the rigidities of the Hungarian education system. The story is told through the eyes of two outsiders: a 10-year-old boy recently returned from Germany and a young teacher determined to challenge the stifling rules of a deeply conformist school.

Vulture’s Wake, the latest film by acclaimed director Szabolcs Hajdu, concludes his trilogy on family and friendship. The story revolves around the emotional reunion of three old friends brought together by the death of an acquaintance. A day filled with nostalgia, alcohol, and simmering tension unravels old rivalries, unresolved conflicts, and romantic complications.

In A Hunt for Hedgehogs (dir. Mihály Schwechtje), a young classical music student named Bogi supports herself by babysitting for her cousin, whose marriage is on the brink of collapse. On the day of her final exam, a sudden and serious incident involving one of the children turns her world upside down and plunges her into a spiral of anxiety and self-blame.