Past the first quarter of the 21st century, and beyond the promises of modernity, we find ourselves in a present fraught with contradictions: concerns and conflicts that sketch an uncertain horizon yet also present compelling challenges and new opportunities.

Just when it seemed that the stereotypes associated with a “multicultural society” had been left behind, the ideological winds have shifted; people are once again responding to new (though, in reality, old) narratives, old fears are resurfacing, and the concept of the border is being reinforced. Yet, we as individuals have evolved, and we are far removed from how we are portrayed in theoretical discourse. Long before the term “globalization” gained popularity, migration was already a constant in human history,shaping identities that shift, grow, and diversify.

In a contemporary world defined by constant change and transformation,where realities are continually being redefined,the notion that identity can remain static is little more than a fantasy. Our screens are filled with the stories of individuals with diverse roots and uncertaindestinies, people for whom the journey of life carries more weight than their point of origin or their final destination. They inhabit intimate spaces where physical territory no longer holds the same significance it once did, and where the desire to belong outweighs one’s origins.

The films we are presenting at CaixaForum speak to these experiences: at times, the country of origin serves merely as a backdrop; at others, it remains a distant point of reference. But almost always, what matters most is finding the place where one can fully shape one’s own identity,finding (or inventing) a place that one can call home.

This mutating identity also permeates cinema. The art of film expands, transforms, and experiments with new modes of storytelling, new perspectives, and new languages ​​that challenge conventions and push the boundaries of what we understand as cinema. It is a cinema that,much like the people and identities it portrays,is in a state of constant transition.

We will explore all of this, and much more, at REC.