The introduction sets the thematic and methodological foundation for the book, which explores representations of journeys and migrations in European comedy films after 1989. The authors begin by positioning travel and migration as central motifs of both contemporary Europe and the Western cultural tradition. They explain the relevance of the term homo viator and connect it to figures such as pilgrims, mythical wanderers, and modern migrants. The introduction presents a clear overview of the book’s structure, divided into two parts: one focused on homo ludens and the anthropology of travel as play, and the other on the emerging genre of migrant comedy. It outlines the films under analysis, spanning multiple national cinemas, and introduces the comparative, thematic, and generic approach adopted throughout. The authors review existing scholarship and note that while migration has been widely explored in film studies, comedy remains largely underrepresented in this context. Their study aims to address this imbalance by demonstrating that comedy, far from being trivial or peripheral, offers a rich and complex lens through which to examine political tensions, social dynamics, and emotional experiences. The introduction emphasizes the importance of comedy as a mode capable of humanizing migrants and travelers, exposing social contradictions, and offering nuanced, often optimistic, perspectives on multicultural integration and cultural difference.