Above image: Still, Birdman by Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2015

The holidays are fast approaching, the tree is up and the Christmas shopping still hopelessly incomplete. Yet for all the familiarities, something feels undeniably different about this typically frenetic stage of preparations. In keeping with that theme, the rituals and traditions that are the cornerstone of any ‘normal’ Christmas are temporarily suspended which, when it comes to your annual programme of festive films (and those cousins you need no longer see), is one change that should be fully embraced.

Cast aside the manacles of Love, Actually, Home Alone and Elf, now is the time to seek out change, new horizons and fresh inspiration. All and more can be found over at MUBI, who recently capped another stellar year with their exclusive release of Yorgos Lanthimos‘ short film, Nimic. Providing an alternative take on the advent calendar is their new programme of December films, one for each day of the month, spanning debut releases and certified classics.

Guiding us through the list of titles is Maureen Gueunet, MUBI’s UK Programming Coordinator, whose impeccable taste you’d do well to follow. Read through her below selection of the best MUBI films coming this month to get you in the mood for Christmas.

At MUBI, we’re big fans of the work of South Korean director Hong Sang-soo, whose minimalist cinema blends a playful lightness of touch with a romantic melancholy that is just irresistible. His characters are lovely humans caught in the throes of love, loneliness… and spontaneous encounters. With his newest, female-centred film, The Woman Who Ran, Hong Sang-soo took home the Silver Bear for Best Director at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, and sees him enter a more mysterious and serene mood, in which the small moments of the everyday become sublime, introspective beacons. Might Soju become your new favourite Christmas drink?

Watch The Woman Who Ran on MUBI from 20 December

As some of us might reunite with our loved ones in this festive season, here is a different story of a family reunion, one told from an immigrant’s perspective. For her first feature film, which was received with critical acclaim in Sundance last January, Ekwa Msangi drew from her personal experience as a child of Tanzanian parents living in the United States. The result is her insightful and intimate Farewell Amor, an inter-generational tale of a recently reunited family and their struggle to reconnect after years apart. Set in contemporary New York City, this universal yet personal story also reveals the vital role that dance and music play when attempting to remain connected to one’s cultural roots.

Watch Farewell Amor on MUBI from 18 December

What better moment than Christmas to (re)discover an absurdist, endless dinner party that goes completely bananas? Yes, this is the time to plunge into Luis Buñuel’s eternal classic, a surrealist satire that exposes the dark secrets, dubious morals, and sexual fantasies of the bourgeoisie with cheeky brio. What a programme: six guests, endless possibilities! A winner of the 1973 Oscar for Best Foreign Language film, and starring iconic French actresses Delphine Seyrig and Stéphane Audran, this fiendishly witty comedy will bring you to re-evaluate any grievances you might have towards your family.

Watch The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie on MUBI from 23 December 

Most of us have heard of the Ealing comedies from the late forties-fifties, a true heyday of British cinema made in the renowned Ealing Studios, but never actually watched them. One of its finest offerings is Kind Hearts and Coronets, coming soon to MUBI in a stunning new restoration! A cynical and witty murder comedy with ink-black humour, subversive politics, and all-out amoral values—perhaps the perfect kind of Christmas family film? Dennis Price brings down Britain’s class system with cool elegance and a chilling desire for vengeance — and believe it or not, but the splendid Alec Guinness plays no less than 8 different roles!

Watch Kind Hearts and Coronets on MUBI now

A resounding success upon its release, the modern classic Birdman hits MUBI this December, a work of mind-boggling cinematic virtuosity that’s always ripe for a re-watch. Shot to look like it was filmed in one single take, Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel) has us mesmerised with this satirical look at artistic frustration and creativity in New York City. Batman’s Michael Keaton plays a superstar who struggles to mount a Broadway play in a triumphant (and very meta) performance, starring alongside other A-Listers such as Emma Stone, Edward Norton, and Naomi Watts!

Watch Birdman on MUBI from 27 December 

Find the full list of MUBI’s December programme here.