Keina Espiñeira holds a PhD in Political Science and Administration (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2016) and a Masters in Documentary Filmmaking (Universidad de Alcalá, 2014). Her lines of research focus on migration, asylum and border policies from critical perspectives and approaches, such as post-colonial theories and race studies. She has carried out much of her work in the Western Mediterranean region, specifically in Morocco, Ceuta and the Strait of Gibraltar. She is interested in understanding contemporary transformations of borders as processes of socio-spatial order, as well as their impact on perceptions, imaginaries and representations of territory and identity. Currently, her main research focuses on the analysis of internal borders and the policies of reception and integration of migrants and refugees in Europe. On these topics she participated in international research projects (ERC, H2020, Erasmus +, Erasmus Battuta and FP7) and state R+D+i programmes (Spanish Government).

Her research-artistic experience in the application of audiovisual methodologies stands out. Her works have been exhibited and awarded at international festivals and museums, including MoMA New York, Toronto, Rotterdam, Rome and Buenos Aires, among others. Her short film “Tout le monde aime le bord de la mer” was nominated best European short film by the European Film Academy in 2016. She recently coordinated the project “Care in the diaspora. A photographic autoethnography of Cape Verdean women in Spain” funded by the Women’s Institute (Ministerio de Igualdad, 2023).

She is a member of the Arquivo da Emigración Galega, of the Consello da Cultura Galega.

RESEARCH AREAS

Border studies, reception and refugee policies, human rights, post-colonial theories, anti-racism, documentary film, audiovisual methodologies.

ORCID profile

Google Scholar profile

UDC profile