Sports films in focus: emotions and society in the power struggle of images

Sports films in focus: emotions and society in the power struggle of images

On September 5, 2025, a conference on media narratives in sports films will take place at the University of Mannheim. This event, organized by the Chair of Modern German Studies II under the direction of Prof. Dr. Thomas Wortmann, aims to explore the complex relationships between top sporting performances, emotional stories and social issues. According to the press release from uni-mannheim.de Films like "Rocky", "Summer's Tale" and "Ted Lasso" are cited as examples in which values, political ideas and social concepts are conveyed.

The conference will address topics such as success, fairness, gender roles and identity concepts and is aimed at both specialist audiences and interested parties. The event begins at 9 a.m. in seminar room SO 418 in Mannheim Castle. The contact persons Julian Sieler and Fabio Kratzmaier are available for further information. They can be reached at the email addresses julian.sieler@uni-mannheim.de and fabio.kratzmaier@uni-mannheim.de and by telephone at +49 621 181-3268.

The fascination of sports films

Sports films are particularly popular because they tell emotional stories of triumph and defeat and at the same time reflect social issues. Prof. Dr. Robert Gugutzer from the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main emphasizes that these films often impress through the staging of moving bodies and at the same time deal with social aspects such as performance individualism and commercialization. Still, the genre is often viewed as less valuable, which is met with resistance from both sports fans and film fans.

The popularity of sports films, especially among younger audiences, is undisputed. Children's films and sports comedies are particularly popular. Nevertheless, the development of sports films, which began at the end of the 19th century, is perceived as complex. The early examples, such as the film about the boxing match between Corbett and Fitzsimmons from 1897, show that sports films have long provided a platform for social debates. This underlines mediendiskurs.online, by shedding light on the cultural significance of the genre.

Socially critical dimensions and future trends

The analysis of sports films is becoming increasingly scientifically important. An interdisciplinary volume, whose contributions come from renowned authors, deals with the genre and its subgenres such as football, basketball, boxing and martial arts films. These academic works show how sports films reflect historical events and social developments, but also present individual and collective (anti-)heroes. The relevance of the genre for understanding social ideals and conflicts becomes visible. bisp-surf.de points to the increasing attention that sports films are receiving in social and cultural studies and shows the great potential for analysis and reflection of these films.

At a time when real sporting events continue to gain in importance, the popularity of sports films is also increasingly seen as positive. While the films address social injustices such as doping and professionalization, the audience's emotional connection to the film's characters often remains the key to success.