NARDIV - United in Narrative Diversity?

🎬 Î𝙉 𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙐𝙇 𝙑𝙄𝙀Ț𝙄𝙄 - 𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙇𝙐𝙕𝙄𝙐𝙉𝙀, 𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙄𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙀 Ș𝙄 𝙀𝙂𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙀 𝘿𝙀 Ș𝘼𝙉𝙎𝙀 🎥

Filmul „GIPSY QUEEN” (2019, regizor Hüseyin Tabak) sosește la Bruxelles, în cadrul proiectului NARDIV - United in Narrative Diversity?, finanțat prin 𝙊𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙀𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙖 și la care ICR este partener.
📅 Program :
⏰ 8 :45 – Proiecție la Arthis Asbl-vzw, în parteneriat cu ERGO Network
VO germană, subtitrări în franceză.
⏰ 18 :00 – Proiecție la Cinema Vendôme, urmată de o sesiune de întrebări și răspunsuri cu Alina Șerban, actrița principală a filmului.
𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙧ă, 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙪𝙞 𝙙𝙚 𝙡𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠-𝙪𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙞.
VO germană, subtitrări în engleză.
🌍 Despre film :
Alina Șerban, în rolul lui Ali, o mamă singură de etnie romă, ne arată cm boxul devine un spațiu unde regulile sunt egale pentru toți. Filmul a câștigat Premiul pentru cea mai bună actriță la Festivalul Black Nights din Tallinn (2019) și Premiul Sindicatului Actorilor Germani (2020).

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🎬 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙊𝙁 𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀 – 𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙇𝙐𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉, 𝙄𝘿𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙄𝙏𝙔 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙀𝙌𝙐𝘼𝙇 𝙊𝙋𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙐𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙄𝙀𝙎 🎥

The film ,,GIPSY QUEEN” (directed by Hüseyin Tabak) arrives in Brussels as part of the NARDIV - United in Narrative Diversity? project, funded by 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚 with the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) as a partner.
📅 Schedule:
⏰ 8 :45 – Screening at Arthis Asbl-vzw - Maison Culturelle Belgo-Roumaine, in partnership with ERGO Network
German version, French subtitles.
⏰ 18 :00 – Screening at Cinema Vendôme, followed by a Q&A session with Alina Șerban, the film’s lead actress.
German version, English subtitles.
𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮, 𝙪𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨.
🌍 About the film :
Alina Șerban, in the role of Ali, a single Roma mother, shows us how boxing becomes a space where the rules are the same for everyone. The film won the Best Actress Award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (2019) and the German Actors’ Guild Award (2020).

🎬 Gipsy Queen – screening & Q&A with Alina Șerban

Today, as part of the NARDIV Final Conference and in cooperation with the ICR Brussels and Goethe Institut, Gipsy Queen (2019) will be presented in an evening screening at Cinéma Vendôme, followed by a Q&A with lead actress Alina Șerban.

The event is part of the conference’s engagement strand, connecting research on narratives, perception and representation with lived experience, artistic practice and public dialogue.
Directed by Hüseyin Tabak, Gipsy Queen (2019) tells the story of Ali (Alina Șerban), a single mother from Romania and former boxer who tries to build a life for herself and her children in Hamburg. Facing economic precarity, exploitative work conditions and social exclusion, she returns to boxing as a way of fighting for her family, her dignity and the possibility of a more secure future.

Blending the intensity of a boxing drama with the urgency of social realism, Gipsy Queen explores migration, Roma identity and the struggle for dignity in contemporary Europe. Through Ali’s story, the film foregrounds resilience, self-determination and the fight against exclusion, prejudice and unequal opportunities.

💬 The Q&A with Alina Șerban will open a conversation on representation, artistic voice and the role of cinema in shaping public perception.

📍 Film Screening & Q&A with Alina Șerban
🗓️ Wednesday, 13 May
🕕 18:00–20:30
📌 Cinéma Vendôme
🎟️ Free of charge – registration: https://shortlink.uk/1uT7U

Find out more about NARDIV: https://shortlink.uk/1uT7Z

Today, NARDIV brings its research to the European Parliament.

After three years of transnational collaboration, the project presents its key findings and recommendations in Brussels as a moment of knowledge transfer: from academic research to cultural practice, from project work to policy dialogue, from analysis to European stakeholders.

NARDIV has examined how Eastern and Western Europe perceive each other at a time when cultural stereotypes, democratic backsliding, war, misinformation and digital polarisation continue to shape public debate. The project asks a central question: how can cultural exchange help Europe move beyond inherited divisions and build more inclusive narratives?

The presentation draws on insights from across the project:

How women’s life narratives make visible the emotional and political consequences of persistent East–West binaries.

How post-colonial perspectives can help us understand asymmetries within Europe and open more honest conversations about memory, power and belonging.

How Russian malign information narratives circulate across different media environments — and why high online engagement does not necessarily reflect public consensus.

How cultural diplomacy can become more than national representation: a long-term investment in civil society, democratic resilience and European understanding.

How digital communication, artistic research and hybrid formats can help cultural institutions reach new publics and strengthen stakeholder dialogue.

At the European Parliament, these findings are shared with policymakers, cultural actors and European partners to support practical recommendations for the future of cultural diplomacy and cultural policy in Europe.

NARDIV’s work also continues online. The project website gathers more than 50 events, webinars, articles, project outputs and recommendations for practitioners — offering resources for everyone interested in cultural exchange, narrative diversity and Europe’s shared future.
Explore the full NARDIV journey on our website: www.nardiv.eu



Funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe, Grant Agreement No. 101095171. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Starting today: the NARDIV Final Conference in Brussels.

From 11 to 13 May 2026, researchers, policy-makers, cultural actors and the wider public come together to discuss how narratives, perceptions and media dynamics shape relations between Eastern and Western Europe.

Join us for three days of academic panels, policy exchange, public debate and film screenings.

All events are free of charge, registration is encouraged.

Explore the programme and join us in Brussels:

🔗 https://nardiv.eu/?view=article&id=232:nardiv-final-conference-2026-brussels&catid=9
🌐 www.nardiv.eu

How can exhibition spaces become active agents for social change? ✨
Spatial Encounters #1: The Politics of Display brought together artists, curators, and researchers to explore how spatial design can challenge colonial legacies, amplify underrepresented voices, and foster deeper engagement with today’s urgent sociopolitical issues.

Hosted at the Goethe-Institut Netherlands, this roundtable—co-organised by VOX-POP and NARDIV—featured:
🎙️ Emilienne Fernande Bodo (HKW, Berlin)
🎙️ Mercedes Azpilicueta (Visual Artist, Amsterdam)
🎙️ Martha Echevarría (World Press Photo, Amsterdam)
Moderated by architect and researcher Zoi Psimmenou (UvA/VOXPOP).

Together, they reflected on how exhibitions can move beyond neutrality and activate visitors through the power of space itself.

Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation and contributed to a full house of engaged participants!

🌐 Webinar Highlight – Live from the NARDIV Conference
East–West Perceptions: How to Overcome Asymmetry?
📅 Friday, 28 November 2025
⏰ 18:00–19:15 (Bucharest time)
📍 Online via Zoom

Don’t miss this key moment of the NARDIV Annual Conference! Join us online for a thought-provoking webinar bringing together leading voices in European cultural diplomacy.

Moderated by Joachim Umlauf, the panel features:
✨ Catherine Teissier
✨ Beata Ociepka
✨ Nicole Colin
✨ Hanna Klimpe
✨ Oana-Valentina Suciu
✨ Cristian Preda
✨ Gabriel Horațiu Decuble

Together, they will explore how to overcome persistent East–West asymmetries in Europe — from stereotypes and cultural narratives to the deeper imbalances shaping mutual perceptions today.

💡 Why join?
• Fresh insights from NARDIV research
• Key findings on cultural diplomacy in Europe
• Ideas for strengthening cultural exchange across borders

🎯 Who should attend?
Researchers, students, policymakers, cultural managers — and anyone curious about Europe’s cultural future.

🎤 Includes an open Q&A — your chance to join the discussion!

🔗 Register: https://eveeno.com/webinar-east-west-perception-asymmertry
🌍 Learn more at nardiv.eu

🌍 The NARDIV Annual Conference 2025 Programme is now online!
📅 27–29 November 2025
📍 FFacultatea de Stiinte Politice a Universitatii din Bucuresti (FSPUB)at the Universitatea din București& Goethe-Institut Bucuresti

We’re excited to share the full programme for our upcoming international conference:

🎓 Reimagining European Cultural Diplomacy: Historical Legacies and Future Prospects of East–West Relations.
Over three days, leading scholars and practitioners from across Europe will explore how historical experiences continue to shape European cultural diplomacy — and how we can rethink East–West relations for the future.

The programme traces a journey from historical legacies to contemporary challenges and future policy perspectives, fostering dialogue across disciplines and regions.

🔗 See the full programme and learn more: https://nardiv.eu/?view=article&id=202:nardiv-conference-2025-reimagining-european-cultural-diplomacy&catid=9

🌐 More about NARDIV: www.nardiv.eu

🎓 Guest Lecture: Understanding Cultural Diplomacy through Artistic and Archival Research

As part of Performative Installation: Reflections on East–West Perspectives, Roxana Lapadat, NARDIV doctoral researcher and curator, gave a guest lecture to the M.A. Cultural Diplomacy students at the Faculty of Political Science in University of Bucharest.

She shared insights from her PhD on German–Romanian cultural diplomacy, showing how archives can be reactivated through art to question dominant narratives and bridge East–West perspectives.

Students explored co-performativity by engaging with archival fragments from the installation — discovering how research can come alive through artistic practice.

💬 A vivid example of how cultural diplomacy connects academia, art, and public experience.

🔗 Learn more at www.nardiv.eu

What if understanding a culture could start with what’s on the plate? 🇷🇴✨

For their Summer School project, Franziska Abele, Alina Cruceru, Fynn Eckart and Aleksandr Fedotov created “Ciorbă & Conversations” — a bilingual (German & French) mini-cookbook and cultural guide inviting readers to taste Romania.

Their inspiration:
At Port Cultural Cetate, every day was marked by shared meals — and around the table, stories, memories and identities unfolded.

The group explored how Romanian cuisine is shaped by a blend of influences: Ottoman, Hungarian, Moldovan, Ukrainian… just like the country itself.

✨ This project reminds us:
Food is not just nourishment — it’s memory, identity, and one of the most delicious forms of cultural mediation.

What’s in their cook-book?
🥣 Ciorbă de lobodă – a refreshing sour summer soup
🌽 Mămăligă – humble yet iconic, bridging clichés and comfort
🥬 Sarmale – from family tradition to cultural fusion
🍏 Plăcintă cu mere – a beloved apple pastry with ancient roots

Want to see all the recipes in both German & French?

🌐 Explore their full project on our website: https://nardiv.eu/resources/stories-and-features.html