The conclusion synthesises the book’s exploration of nostalgia and displacement across contemporary European cinema, drawing together insights from the five case studies: The Edge of Heaven (2007), Tabu (2012), Extinction (2018), Nostalgia (2022), and Limbo (2020). It argues that nostalgia, far from being a simple yearning for the past, emerges in these films as a dynamic process of negotiating identity, memory, and belonging in conditions of displacement. The discussion highlights the dual nature of nostalgia: reflective nostalgia offers a means of working through loss and fostering resilience, while restorative nostalgia risks trapping individuals and societies in illusions of a recoverable past. Cinema is shown to be uniquely capable of articulating these tensions, functioning as a “memory machine” that captures both the emotional texture of longing and the socio-political realities that shape it. By foregrounding displaced perspectives, these films challenge reductive narratives about migrants and refugees, offering instead a complex, empathetic portrayal of lives in transit. The conclusion reflects on the cultural and political significance of these representations, suggesting that European cinema has become an important arena for rethinking identity, history, and belonging in an age marked by mobility and uncertainty.