Dealing with the enduring Russian aggression against Ukraine and the subsequent invasion poses a substantial challenge for media and culture professionals. Both document war events, want to incite reflection and inspire to take individual action. Documentary films represent a potent genre in order to capture the complexity of the war in Ukraine and to convey the humanity of the people affected. It facilitates a record of the cruelty of war, whilst still pointing out the power of resilience and hope of people. This panel will discuss the challenges of documentary films about Ukraine and the culture of remembrance of the Soviet occupation in the Baltics by referring to occupation museums as cultural institutions. With the visual input of photos and videos, this debate will also shed light on the post-colonial heritage in Eastern Europe and the ongoing ramifications of Russian imperialism and colonialism on politics in this region.

As football mania reaches its fever peak in the run up to the European Football Championships and important national and international elections, we put forth the question: Can sports change our society? Learn how athletes can impact the realm of politics and society and join us on our quest to discover positive and negative examples. Are athletes obliged to act like role models and to be politically active or can they simply practice their sport? To what extent can sports act like a game changer?