The Budapest Trial: story of Ilaria Salis
When Italian teacher Ilaria Salis was arrested in Hungary and accused of attacking neo-Nazis, her case sparked outrage across Europe. Our partners @streetpress met her in Strasbourg to talk about her trial, prison abuse, political manipulation, and the growing crackdown on anti-fascist movements under Viktor Orbán’s government. This shortdoc is also part of our “Stories […]
Sphera Hotline: How are European cities adapting to the changing temperatures?
With heatwaves in European cities getting worse and longer every year, and the numbers of climate-related deaths on the rise, what are local authorities actually doing to deal with them? And is it actually possible to adapt to these new conditions? With the help of researcher Theodore Keeping, we try to answer this question. In […]
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia: Exiled Journalists Against Repression
Freedom of press is a value that’s taken for granted in many European countries. Yet, with every year that passes, the Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom index goes redder and redder. In parts of Europe, independent journalists have to risk their lives, and the safety of their families, to continue doing their jobs. Most of […]
In France, a group of young women tells a different history of Paris
Feminists in the City is a French organisation that has been organising feminist-themed walking tours in Paris and other cities since 2018. These tours offer an alternative way of experiencing the city: not through monuments to generals and kings, but through street art, literature, memories, and places of protest. Participants explore the history of Paris […]
From inclusion to pride: in Greece, an organisation is changing the future of Roma children
In this short documentary, young Roma leaders from an organisation Faros tou Kosmou (Lighthouse of the World) share what it means to grow up proud of their culture while working for equality and inclusion. Through stories of family, education, and community, they challenge stereotypes and highlight the power of Roma identity, reshaping the narrative for […]
A Safe Space for Women Migrants: Inside Fem Book Club Poland
Fem Book Club is a migrant-run initiative in Poland for women and queer people facing cultural and language barriers. More than a book club, it’s a space to read together, share stories, discover diverse authors, and build connections. Through meetings, workshops, and performances, it uses literature as a tool for integration, belonging, and amplifying marginalised […]
Rainbow Families in Greece: Parenthood, Equality, and the Struggle for Recognition
Stella Belia, president of Rainbow Families Greece, shares her personal story as an LGBTQ+ parent in Greece and reflects on the journey toward equality, with its unresolved challenges: from parental rights and assisted reproduction, to the lack of comprehensive sexual education. @Popagandagr is a Sphera Network member and this story is part of our “Parenthood” […]
In this town near Madrid, a feminist book club is a space of sharing and community
In a town near Madrid, a group of women meet to talk about books by female authors. More than a book club, these meetings are a chance to talk, share, discuss issues global and personal, and, over time, form a community. For their series about books and people around Europe, our partners @KrytykaPolitycznaTV went to […]
In a Spanish village, a rural cinema fosters community
Fresnedillas de la Oliva is a town with less than 2,000 inhabitants near Madrid, but for months now has been a film set. A cooperative brought the idea of filming a horror short to this municipality, involving all the inhabitants as cast members. Caterina Rimelli and Nino Morante, the scriptwriters, aim to foster community through […]
Meet the French skewer master
A few years ago, Samba started cooking kebabs on a barbecue in a stadium in the Paris suburbs. Now people come from all over France to sit down at his restaurant, Feu de bois, enjoy his cuisine and reapeat his famous slogan: “You eat, you cry.” The skewer master told his success story to @streetpress. […]
