Economy in focus: Kyrgyzstan
Emerging Europe in 2025
parallax background

A few things we liked in 2024

Some movies, TV, books, music, travel and sporting highlights from the year gone by

December 31, 2024

10 min read

By

December 31, 2024

By

10 min read

Films

The New Year That Never Came, directed by Bogdan Mureșanu

A clever film which takes place during a period of 24 hours beginning early in the morning on December 20, 1989. Romania’s revolution had begun four days earlier in the western city of Timișoara, but in the absence of official news, in the capital Bucharest there is only rumour.

In this setting, six people get on with their lives. A TV director has to find a way to save his New Year’s show after his leading lady defects. The solution lies with a theatre actress who can’t reach her ex-boyfriend in Timișoara.

Meanwhile the director’s son, a student, plans to flee Romania to Yugoslavia by swimming across the Danube. Elsewhere, an officer of the Securitate is struggling to move his mother from her soon-to-be-demolished house to a new apartment. The move is being carried out by a factory worker whose own son is about to land him in serious trouble.

At times both funny and genuinely terrifying (one seen in a pharmacy will trigger Romanians of a certain age) this film is not the story of Romania’s revolution. It is the story of those people whose lives were about to be changed by the revolution, and it’s all the better for it.

—

Citizen Saint, directed by Tinatin Kajrishvili

In the Georgian mining town of Chiatura (perhaps best known for its system of death-defying cable cars), a statue of a saint, believed to protect the miners, is removed for restoration and mysteriously disappears.

Simultaneously, a mute stranger arrives, leading the superstitious townspeople to believe their saint has come to life. Initially, his presence is celebrated, but as he fails to prevent misfortunes, the community’s faith wanes, and fear takes hold.

Directed by Tinatin Kajrishvili, Citizen Saint is a black-and-white allegorical drama that explores themes of faith, superstition, and human nature, highlighting how hope can both uplift and divide a community. It won the Grand Prix at the CinEast Festival in Luxembourg.

—

Silence of Reason, directed by Kumjana Novakova

A forensic video essay that takes a deep dive into the atrocities committed against women in the Foča rape camps during the war in Bosnia in the 1990s.

Constructed entirely from archival footage and survivor testimonies, the film serves as a fluid, elusive memory, rejecting conventional framing and traversing various spatial and temporal dimensions.

It examines the landmark international criminal tribunal case that first recognised rape as a form of torture and sexual enslavement as a crime against humanity.

In April, the film received the Golden Lily for Best Film at the 24th goEast Festival of Central and Eastern European Film. It’s not feel-good cinema by any means, but it’s essential cinema.

TV & Streaming

The Day of the Jackal (Peacock/Sky Showtime)

This modern take on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel about a professional killer’s attempt to kill Charles de Gaulle was never going to match the sheer brilliance and precision of Fred Zinnemann’s 1973 film adaption (which was so good that even history couldn’t spoil the ending), but it’s a good, watchable romp across much of Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltics (Belarus, Budapest, Croatia, Riga, Tallinn).

This time, it’s not a French president the Jackal is after, but a web entrepreneur set on changing the world with new software that, he claims, will make the global financial system completely transparent.

While it does on multiple occasions treat viewers as idiots (trying to convince us that Budapest is Riga or Tallinn; Budapest’s old Ferihegy 1 Terminal by the way is arguably the busiest actor in the show, playing the role of at least three different airports) we can forgive it its trespasses, not least as Tallinn is chosen as the location of the announcement of the revolutionary new software.

Estonia’s reputation as the place in the region where great innovations are announced first therefore emerges intact. Much like (spoiler alert) the Jackal.

—

Detective Forst (Netflix)

We’ve had Scandi Noir, now meet Polski Noir.

Netflix’s Detective Forst delivers a gripping narrative that examines the murky world of the Polish criminal underworld, setting itself apart with its psychological depth and unflinching portrayal of moral ambiguity.

The series follows the relentless Commissioner Jakub Forst, whose obsessive drive to solve a string of brutal murders pushes him to the brink, testing not only his professional acumen but also his own humanity.

What sets Detective Forst apart from other detective shows is its focus on the complexities of the human condition, weaving personal struggles seamlessly with the broader societal issues plaguing Poland. The show also boasts some of the most breathtaking cinematography in contemporary Polish TV: Poland has arguably never looked better.

Warning: there’s a dubbed version available (as in the trailer; below). It’s genuinely terrible. Stick to the original language (Polish) and use subtitles.

Books

Getting Out: The Ukrainian Cricket Team’s Last Stand on the Front Lines of War, by Jonathan Campion

A captivating exploration of an unexpected intersection: the timeless sport of cricket and the tumultuous landscape of modern Ukraine.

Set against the backdrop of a nation struggling with conflict and uncertainty, Jonathan Campion’s marvelous weaves together bizarre stories, personal narratives, historical context, and the resilience of ordinary players from multiple countries and backgrounds who find hope and meaning in a game not usually associated with this part of the world.

Campion’s detailed reportage and empathetic storytelling shed light on cricket’s fragile foothold and its power to unite disparate communities.

Through vibrant voices and poignant moments from the first days of the war, Getting Out reveals how sport can transcend boundaries (pun intended) like almost nothing else.

—

Central Asia in World War II: The Impact and Legacy of Fighting for the Soviet Union, by Vicky Davis

Surprisingly little is known in the West about the role of Central Asia in the Second World War. 

The region as a whole has been largely overlooked by historians, who have tended, if anything, to concentrate on its centuries-old position at the hub of the ancient Silk Road.

Indeed, very few of the Western tourists travelling to Central Asia to admire its architecture or ski in its mountains would be able to identify its republics as having fought alongside the Allies as part of the former Soviet Union. 

This work plugs the gap in Eurocentric history by shedding light on the region’s strategic involvement in the Second World War, claiming for Central Asia its rightful place in this key period of Soviet and world history.

—

The Heart of Poland: An Odyssey Through a Country’s Football Culture, by Alex Webber

And now for something completely different: a gorgeous coffee table tome by a Warsaw legend (Webber has lived in Poland for nearly a quarter of a century, mainly working as a travel writer).

These days a serious journalist at Polish TV, he devotes his weekends to football—he will usually attend three matches each week. “My focus has always been on the lower leagues, the forgotten leagues, the rural sides. The road less travelled,” Webber says.

His book, beautifully illustrated with his own photography, is a love letter to a disappearing world—one on which iconic if often dilapidated stadia are being replaced by what he calls, “identikit lego sets”.

“[If] I didn’t write my book now, then the opportunity would have passed. The game that I love is disappearing,” Webber says. Fortunately for us, his timely book immortalises it.

Music

Radical Optimism, by Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism had a strong global debut, hitting #1 in the UK and #2 in the US. Having French exited (to quote one of its tracks) most charts by the end of summer, the album didn’t quite capture the zeitgeist the way her sophomore album Future Nostalgia did—perhaps because it’s harder to be radically optimistic than nostalgically escapist. Timing, as they say, is everything.

Billed by Lipa herself as a ‘psychedelic Britpop’ odyssey produced by her dream collaborator Tame Impala, the album only flirts with the genre in its two lead singles before meandering into a sun-drenched collection of impeccably produced mid-tempos. It’s less an acid trip and more an Aperol spritz—best enjoyed poolside in Mykonos, Capri, or [insert your favourite Med island], where the sea breeze pairs perfectly with Lipa’s confidence.

Whilst Lipa never nodded to her Balkan origins in her music, Radical Optimism flirts with it in Falling Forever, a standout track. With its soaring beats and dramatic vocals, it’s practically begging for a Eurovision moment. Picture fire, dramatic red-and-black staging, and a triumphant Albanian flag unfurling: Eurovision 2025, your winner awaits.

While it may not redefine pop as its predecessor did, Radical Optimism serves as a reminder that not every album needs to shake the world—some are just here to soundtrack your perfect summer afternoon. And honestly, that’s optimism we can get behind.

Places

From Tirana to Tbilisi, Tallinn to Thessaloniki, more than any year in recent memory, the Emerging Europe team was on the road a lot in 2024.

We rekindled an old love affair with Vilnius—now one of the most gloriously walkable cities in Europe—and fell (as we do time and again) for the many charms of Riga—not least the opportunity it gave us for a wonderful, if chilly spring walk along the beach at Jūrmala.

Tbilisi was as welcoming as ever, Sofia’s restaurants (take a bow, Djannam) fed us well, and on our frequent trips to Warsaw we were amazed at how the city manages to keep getting higher and higher.

What are they going to build next?

Brașov in Romania remains that country’s finest city (by quite the distance) although its ski resort, Poiana Brașov, is now out of reach (price wise) for the likes of Emerging Europe. It’s evidence that the region’s days as a low cost destination are over. No bad thing, either.

No prizes however for guessing where we most loved visiting in 2024, for it’s the same city every year: Budapest. Majestic and imperial its cosmopolitan, multicultural vibe is at odds with Hungary’s government.

Long may it continue.

Sport

It was a good year for sportsmen and women—and teams—from Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus in 2024. Four stand out, however: Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar, Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, and the Georgian men’s football team.

Pogačar was all but unbeatable in 2024, winning just about every race he entered, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the World Road Race Championships—widely viewed as being cycling’s triple crown.

He also won the Volta a Catalunya, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the Giro di Lombardia, and Strade Bianche. Not since the days of Eddy Merckx in the early 1970s has one cyclist dominated the sport in such a way.

Usyk meanwhile became the first undisputed world heavyweight champion of the four-belt era when he defeated Tyson Fury on points in May 2024. That also made the Ukrainian the first undisputed heavyweight king since British fighter Lennox Lewis in 1999. Usyk beat Fury again in December.

Mahuchikh also had an extraordinary 2024, breaking a world record that had stood since 1987 and winning Olympic gold. She was later in the year named female athlete of 2024 by World Athletics.

Finally, Georgia’s national football team may not have made it past the second round at the European Championships in the summer, but their style of play—gung ho in an era of safety-first soccer—won them many friends and entertained us all. And in Giorgi Mamardashvili—set to join Liverpool next summer—they could also boast the tournament’s best goalkeeper.

Craig Turp-Balazs

Craig Turp-Balazs

Craig Turp-Balazs is head of insight and analysis at Reinvantage.

Share

You might also find these insightful

✕

Case study: Global technology company

1. The Client

A global technology company operating across EMEA, with a regional HQ in Istanbul. The company manages 20+ markets, handling everything from brand campaigns to strategic partnerships.

Role we worked with: The EMEA Head of Marketing (supported by two regional managers).

2. The Challenge

Despite strong products and a respected global brand, the regional team was struggling with:

  • Misaligned strategy across markets → campaigns executed with inconsistent narratives.
  • Slowed growth → lead generation plateaued despite increasing spend.
  • Internal friction → marketing, sales, and product teams disagreed on KPIs and priorities.

Traditional fixes (more meetings, more reporting) only created more noise.

3. The Sprint

We ran a 10-day Remote Reinvention Sprint with the regional HQ team.

  • Day 1–3: Intake → Reviewed decks, campaign data, and plans.
  • Day 4: Sprint Session (90 mins) → Breakthroughs:
    • Sales and marketing had different definitions of “qualified lead.”
    • 40% of spend was going into low-potential markets.
    • The team assumed the problem was lack of budget, but it was actually lack of alignment.
  • Day 5–10: Synthesis → Insights distilled into a Clarity Brief + Insight Canvas.
4. The Breakthrough

The Sprint uncovered that the issue wasn’t budget, but fragmentation.
Three sharp insights unlocked a way forward:

  1. Unified KPIs bridging marketing + sales.
  2. Market prioritisation → shifting budget to 5 high-potential markets.
  3. Simplified narrative → one EMEA core story, locally adaptable.
By just realigning resources and focus, the client could unlock an estimated £250,000 in efficiency gains within the next 12 months — far exceeding the Sprint’s value guarantee. The path to higher returns was already inside the business, hidden by misalignment.
5. From Sprint to Action (4 Pillars Applied)

With clarity secured, Reinvantage didn’t suggest “more projects.”

Instead, we used the Sprint findings to create laser-focused next steps — drawing only from the areas that would deliver the most impact:

  • Readiness → Alignment workshops for sales + marketing teams. New playbooks clarified “qualified lead” definitions and reduced internal disputes.
  • Foresight → A market-opportunity scan identified which 5 countries would deliver the highest ROI, removing the guesswork from allocation.
  • Growth → Guided the reallocation of €2M budget and designed a phased rollout strategy that protected risk while maximising return.
  • Positioning → Built a messaging framework balancing global consistency with local nuance, ensuring campaigns spoke with one clear voice.

Because the Sprint had stripped away noise, these actions weren’t generic consulting ideas — they were directly tied to the breakthroughs.

6. The Results
  • +28% increase in qualified leads across the region.
  • 30% faster campaign rollout due to streamlined approvals.
  • Budget efficiency gains → €2M redirected from low-return to high-potential markets.
  • Internal cohesion → marketing + sales now use a single shared dashboard.
The client came in believing they needed more budget.
The Sprint revealed that what they really needed was clarity and alignment.

With that clarity, the four pillars became not theory, but practical tools to deliver measurable impact.

The Sprint guaranteed at least £20,000 in value — but in this case, it helped unlock more than 10x that within six months.
✕

Case study: Regional VC fund & accelerator

1. The Client

A regional venture capital fund and accelerator focused on early-stage tech start-ups in the Baltics and Central Europe.

The fund had raised a new round and was under pressure to deliver stronger returns while also building its reputation as the go-to platform for founders.

Role we worked with: Managing Partner, supported by the Head of Portfolio Development.

2. The Challenge

Despite a promising portfolio, results were uneven.

Key issues:

  • Scattered portfolio support → no consistent playbook for start-ups, every partner did things differently.
  • Weak differentiation → founders and co-investors saw the fund as “one of many” in the region.
  • Stretched team → too many small bets, not enough clarity on which companies to double down on.

The leadership team knew something was off, but disagreed on whether the issue was pipeline quality, market conditions, or internal capacity.

3. The Sprint

We ran a 10-day Remote Reinvention Sprint with the partners and portfolio team.

  • Day 1–3: Intake → Reviewed pitch decks, pipeline funnel data, and start-up performance reports.
  • Day 4: Sprint Session (90 mins) → Breakthroughs:
    • No shared definition of a “high-potential founder.”
    • Support resources were spread too thin across the portfolio.
    • The fund’s positioning was more reactive than proactive — it didn’t own a distinctive narrative in the market.
  • Day 5–10: Synthesis → Insights consolidated into a Clarity Brief + Insight Canvas.
4. The Breakthrough

The Sprint revealed that the challenge wasn’t pipeline quality — it was lack of focus and positioning.

Three core insights provided the turning point:

  1. Portfolio Prioritisation Framework → defined clear criteria for where to double down.
  2. Founder Success Playbook → standardised support model for portfolio companies.
  3. Differentiated Narrative → repositioned the fund as “the accelerator of reinvention-ready founders.”
These shifts alone gave the fund a path to add an estimated £2M+ in portfolio value over the following 18 months, by concentrating capital and resources where they could move the needle most.
5. From Sprint to Action (4 Pillars Applied)

With clarity from the Sprint, Reinvantage created a tailored support plan:

  • Readiness → Coached partners on using the new prioritisation framework and trained the team on deploying the Founder Success Playbook.
  • Foresight → Ran scenario analysis on regional tech trends, helping the fund anticipate where capital would flow next.
  • Growth → Guided resource reallocation across the portfolio and supported new co-investor pitches for top-performing start-ups.
  • Positioning → Crafted a sharper brand story for the fund, positioning it as the reinvention partner for globally minded founders.
6. The Results
  • 10 portfolio companies onboarded to the new Playbook → greater consistency of support.
  • Raised follow-on capital for 3 top start-ups with the new prioritisation framework.
  • +26% increase in inbound deal flow from founders citing the fund’s new positioning.
  • Stronger internal cohesion → partners aligned on where to focus resources.
The client thought the problem was pipeline quality.
The Sprint showed it was actually lack of clarity and focus inside the firm.

By applying the four pillars, Reinvantage helped turn scattered effort into concentrated value creation.

The Sprint guaranteed at least £20,000 in value; here it set the stage for multi-million-pound upside in portfolio growth.
✕

Case study: International impact Organisation

1. The Client

A large international impact organisation focused on entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
The organisation runs multi-country programmes across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, often in partnership with global donors and corporate sponsors.

Role we worked with: Senior Programme Director, responsible for regional coordination.

2. The Challenge

The organisation had launched a flagship regional initiative supporting women entrepreneurs, but the programme was underperforming.

Key issues:

  • Fragmented delivery → each country office interpreted the programme differently.
  • Donor frustration → reporting lacked consistency and clear impact metrics.
  • Lost momentum → staff energy was spent on administration rather than scaling success stories.

Traditional programme reviews had produced long reports, but no real alignment or action.

3. The Sprint

We ran a 10-day Remote Reinvention Sprint with the regional leadership team and representatives from two country offices.

  • Day 1–3: Intake → Reviewed donor reports, programme KPIs, and field feedback.
  • Day 4: Sprint Session (90 mins) → Breakthroughs:
    • Donors cared about quantifiable outcomes, but reporting focused on stories.
    • Staff were duplicating efforts across countries, wasting time and resources.
    • The initiative lacked a clear theory of change — everyone described its purpose differently.
  • Day 5–10: Synthesis → Insights distilled into a Clarity Brief + Insight Canvas.
4. The Breakthrough

The Sprint revealed that the issue wasn’t donor pressure or programme design — it was a lack of shared framework and alignment.

Three critical insights reshaped the path forward:

  1. One Unified Theory of Change → agreed narrative for why the programme exists.
  2. Core Impact Metrics → clear, comparable KPIs across all countries.
  3. Smart Resource Sharing → digital hub to stop duplication and accelerate knowledge flow.
By eliminating duplicated reporting and clarifying what success looks like, the client saw they could save the equivalent of £100,000 in staff time annually — while also unlocking stronger donor confidence and follow-on funding opportunities.
5. From Sprint to Action (4 Pillars Applied)

Armed with Sprint clarity, Reinvantage proposed a laser-focused support plan:

  • Readiness → Trained programme leads on using the new metrics and integrated them into existing workflows.
  • Foresight → Analysed donor trends and expectations, aligning the initiative with the next funding cycle.
  • Growth → Developed a funding case based on the new unified theory of change, securing higher renewal chances.
  • Positioning → Crafted a regional success narrative and storytelling toolkit, helping them showcase results consistently across markets.
6. The Results
  • 30% less time spent on reporting → freed capacity for programme delivery.
  • Donor satisfaction improved → positive feedback on the clarity of impact evidence.
  • Secured new funding commitment → one major donor increased their contribution by 20%.
  • Stronger internal morale → staff felt they were working with clarity, not chaos.
The client thought it needed better donor management.
The Sprint revealed it needed a shared foundation across its teams.

By anchoring on the four pillars, Reinvantage turned alignment into efficiency gains and fresh funding opportunities.

The Sprint guaranteed at least £20,000 in value; here it unlocked both six-figure savings and future-proofed funding.
✕

Case study: National digital development agency

1. The Client

A national digital development agency tasked with driving the government’s digital transformation agenda, including e-services, citizen portals, and smart city pilots.

Role we worked with: Director of Digital Transformation, supported by IT and service delivery leads from three ministries.

2. The Challenge

The agency had strong political backing but faced hurdles in implementation.

Key issues:

  • Siloed projects → each ministry developed digital tools independently, leading to duplication.
  • Citizen frustration → services were digital in name, but still required multiple logins and offline steps.
  • Funding pressure → international partners demanded clearer impact in the short term.

The agency wanted to accelerate momentum but struggled to get alignment across ministries.

3. The Sprint

We ran a 14-day Immersive Reinvention Sprint with the agency’s leadership and digital focal points from three ministries.

  • Day 1–3: Intake → Reviewed strategy docs, donor reports, and citizen feedback data.
  • Day 4: Immersive Sprint Session (half-day) → Breakthroughs:
    • Each ministry had different definitions of “digital service.”
    • 20% of budget was going into overlapping pilot projects.
    • Citizens’ top frustrations were known — but not prioritised.
  • Day 5–14: Synthesis → Insights consolidated into a Clarity Brief + Insight Canvas.
4. The Breakthrough

The Sprint revealed that the biggest blocker wasn’t lack of funding, but lack of shared priorities.

Three practical insights stood out:

  1. One Definition of Digital Service → agreed across ministries.
  2. Quick-Win Prioritisation → focus on top 3 citizen pain points (ID renewal, business registration, healthcare booking).
  3. Shared Resource Map → pool budgets to eliminate duplication.
These changes alone allowed the agency to unlock £75,000 in immediate savings and deliver 2–3 visible improvements in the next quarter — meeting donor expectations and building citizen trust.
5. From Sprint to Action (4 Pillars Applied)

Based on the Sprint clarity, Reinvantage proposed a modest, targeted package of support:

  • Readiness → Facilitated inter-ministerial workshops to embed the “one digital service” definition.
  • Foresight → Analysed citizen feedback trends to shape the quick-win roadmap.
  • Growth → Supported the reallocation of funds to joint projects, reducing overlap.
  • Positioning → Crafted a communication plan highlighting early digital wins to donors and citizens.
6. The Results
  • 2 pilot services integrated into the central portal (ID renewal + healthcare booking).
  • Budget savings of £75,000 from eliminating overlapping projects.
  • Citizen satisfaction up modestly → call centre complaints on digital services dropped by 12%.
  • Donor confidence improved → short-term impact report received positive feedback.
The client thought it needed more funding and bigger projects.
The Sprint revealed it first needed clarity and alignment.

By applying the four pillars to a targeted scope, Reinvantage helped deliver visible results within a single quarter — proving progress to citizens and donors and laying the groundwork for deeper transformation.