IDMC-Instituti për Demokraci, Media & Kulturë

01/10/2026

From Reels to Recognition: Roots & Reels in Hamburg 🎬
What happens when young people are given the space to research, question and retell history in their own way?
This September, Roots & Reels reached an important milestone at the EUSTORY Past Forward Festival in Hamburg, hosted by Körber-Stiftung as part of the celebration of 25 years of the EUSTORY network.

🏆 We began with the Roots & Reels Award Ceremony, bringing the winning stories to the big screen and celebrating the young digital storytellers behind them.

Roots & Reels brought together 200+ young participants from 19 countries, with more than 100 short-form videos exploring family memories, local histories, identity, heritage and stories that deserve to be heard.

But Hamburg was not only about celebrating the winners.

💬 During our interactive session, “Past Meets Platform: Insights and Reflections from Roots & Reels,” we took the conversation further:

Who gets to tell history online?
Whose voices are amplified, and whose are overlooked?
How are social media, algorithms and Big Tech influencing what we remember?
And what does responsible historical storytelling look like in the digital age?

The discussions reminded us that young people are not simply consuming history online. They are actively researching, interpreting and reshaping how stories from the past are told.

From more than 100 videos to an international stage in Hamburg, Roots & Reels continues to show what can happen when history meets creativity, digital culture and youth voices.

The past does not disappear when it moves onto new platforms. It gains new storytellers.

Thank you to EUSTORY and Körber-Stiftung, to everyone who joined the conversations in Hamburg, and especially to all the young storytellers who made Roots & Reels possible. ❤️

📸 Photo credit: ©️ Körber-Stiftung/Claudia Höhne

01/10/2026

"Youth and Politics: Left or Right", was one of IDMC's first projects in 2015.
It consisted of a workshop which took place in the cities of Shkodra, Durrës and Tirana. Young people learned about the theories and practices of public policy throughout the political spectrum, guided by experts. It marked the start of IDMC's mission to involve young albanians in the country's political process through modern democratic concepts.

28/09/2026

"The Memory of a Country that Forgot to Forget",
is a documentary created by students in the years 2012-2014. It was the project which started the Institute for Democracy Media and Culture and its long time collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Tirana.
In the span of just over half an hour, it shines a light on how the albanian youth reflect about the country's dictatorial past.

You can watch the full documentary here, and it is open for all educational use:
https://youtu.be/j9SNYKD5kzE?feature=shared

24/08/2026

🗓️23 gushti, Dita Europiane e Përkujtimit të Viktimave të Sistemeve Totalitare – një ditë për të nderuar kujtimin e miliona njerëzve që vuajtën nën komunizëm, nazizëm, fashizëm dhe regjime të tjera totalitare.

🕯️Për IDMC, kujtesa nuk është vetëm një kthim pas në histori. Ajo është një përgjegjësi ndaj viktimave, një mundësi për të reflektuar mbi të kaluarën dhe një mjet për të ndërtuar një të ardhme ku liria, dinjiteti njerëzor dhe demokracia nuk merren kurrë si të mirëqena.

Në këtë link: https://www.idmc.al/dita-europiane-e-viktimave-te-sistemeve-totalitare risjellim për ju aktivitetin artistik organizuar nga IDMC-Instituti për Demokraci, Media & Kulturë, me leximin dhe interpretimin e fragmenteve nga poema satirike “Epopeja e Karkalecave” e Uran Kostrecit. Fragmentet u interpretuan nga një grup të rinjsh nën drejtimin e aktores dhe pedagoges Rozi Kostani. Kostreci e kishte shkruar veprën gjatë periudhës së burgosjes dhe internimit të tij.

💡Prej më shumë se një dekade, përmes Ditëve të Kujtesës, ekspozitave, botimeve, kërkimeve, dokumentarëve, aktiviteteve artistike dhe edukative, si edhe punës me të rinjtë, IDMC ka kontribuar në ruajtjen dhe transmetimin e kujtesës mbi pasojat e diktaturës komuniste në Shqipëri. Në vitin 2021, IDMC e përkujtoi këtë ditë përmes interpretimit të fragmenteve nga poema “Epopeja e karkalecave” e Uran Kostrecit, një vepër e shkruar gjatë viteve të burgimit dhe internimit të autorit.

Të kujtojmë viktimat. Të dëgjojmë dëshmitë. Të mësojmë nga historia. Sepse kujtesa është një nga mbrojtjet më të forta kundër përsëritjes së së kaluarës.

Instituti për Demokraci, Media dhe Kulturë (IDMC) ka vendosur ta përkutojë 23 Gushtin ndryshe, përmes leximit të poemës satirike "Epopeja…

09/07/2026

✅ Nga konkursi Born in the 90s te Ask Your Grandparents, e deri te Roots & Reels, ky postim rrëfen një udhëtim 12-vjeçar të IDMC në promovimin e kujtesës historike dhe fuqizimin e të rinjve përmes historisë, filmit dhe storytelling-ut.

Ju ftojmë të lexoni reflektimin e Drejtores Ekzekutive të IDMC, Jonila Godole, mbi këtë rrugëtim dhe vizionin që vazhdon të frymëzojë punën tonë.

08/07/2026

🏆 The Roots & Reels 2026 winners are here!

What an incredible journey of storytelling, memory, history, and young voices from across Europe.

From powerful personal stories to reflections on identity, remembrance, and the shared past, this year’s submissions showed how creative and courageous young people can be when they engage with history.

We are proud to celebrate the winners of this year’s Roots & Reels Audience Awards and Jury Awards:

🎬 Audience Awards

❤️ Most Liked: The Legacy of Ta**us
Created by Mustafa and Berkay

💬 Most Commented: A German Legacy That Can’t Be Deported
Created by Tamar

🔁 Most Shared: Forbidden… to Be Remembered
Created by Asia

🎬 Jury Awards

🥇 First Prize: Why?
Created by Susanna and Knarik

🥈 Second Prize: They Are Not Forgotten Here
Created by Matej, Filip, Roko and Fran

🥉 Third Prize: Renaming Streets
Created by Olha

A huge congratulations to all winners, and a heartfelt thank you to every participant, jury member, supporter, voter, and everyone who followed the competition.

Your stories remind us that the past is not silent. It lives on through the voices brave enough to ask, remember, and share.

04/07/2026

⏳ Only 3 days left to vote!

The Roots & Reels online competition is still open, and every like, comment, and share can help support the young filmmakers behind these powerful stories.

Voting closes on 7 July at 16:00 CET.

Watch the Top 30 films, support your favourites, and help celebrate the voices bringing history, memory, and identity to life.

Vote now on Instagram:
Institute for Democracy, Media & Culture 🇦🇱
EUSTORY

30/06/2026

📅 Until 7 July | 16:00 (CEST)

🎬 The countdown is on!

The Roots & Reels Winner’s Announcement is getting closer, and online voting is still open!

Support your favourite reels from the Top 30 by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts on our Instagram accounts: IDMC and EUSTORY.

🏆 Audience Awards:
❤️ Most Liked
💬 Most Commented
📤 Most Shared

Every genuine interaction counts until voting closes.

🎬 Watch. Vote. Support young voices.

Roots & Reels is an international history competition for digital storytellers that invites young people to explore memory, history, identity, and the stories that connect the past with the present through creative short reels.

22/06/2026

🎬 THE ROOTS & REELS 2026 TOP 30 ARE HERE!

Thirty powerful reels.
Thirty unique stories.
Now it is time for you to vote.

From 19 June to 7 July 2026, watch the shortlisted reels on our official Instagram page and support your favourites by:

❤️ Liking
💬 Commenting
📤 Sharing

Your engagement will help determine the winners of the three Audience Awards:

❤️ Most Liked Reel – €750
💬 Most Commented Reel – €500
📤 Most Shared Reel – €250

Every genuine interaction counts.

Discover the stories, support young creators, and help your favourite reel reach the top.

📅 Voting closes: 7 July 2026
📍 Vote on our Instagram accounts, the IDMC and EUSTORY Instagram accounts

Keep it real, respectful, and fair.

19/06/2026

🎬 | Renaming Streets

Street names are more than signs on a wall — they reflect memory, identity, and the stories a society chooses to remember.

This reel explores how changing street names can reshape the way communities connect with their past and understand their present.

Created by Olha.

🗳️ Vote for your favourite reels by liking, commenting, and sharing during the Audience Awards voting period.