This collection of 13 essays analyzes connections between film and the dada and surrealist movements. The essays are framed by a documentary section that includes a photographic reproduction of the manuscript scenario for Robert Desno's and Man Ray's "L'Etoile de mer".

This collection of 13 essays analyzes connections between film and two highly influential 20th-century movements. The essays, which comment on specific films and deal with theoretical and topical questions, are framed by a documentary section that includes a photographic reproduction of the manuscript scenario for Robert Desno's and Man Ray's "L'Etoile de Mer", and an introduction by the editor that provides a cogent working model for the difference between Dada and Surrealist perspectives.

Part 1 Essays: Dada/cinema?, Thomas Elsaesser
Leger's ballet mecanique, Judi Freeman
anaemic vision in Duchamp - cinema as readymade, Dalia Judovitz
exploring the discursive field of the Surrealist scenario text, Richard Abel
Benjamin Fondane's "Scenarii Intournables", Peter Christensen
slit screen, David Wills
constellated visions - Robert Desnos's and Man Ray's "L'Etoile de Mer", Inez Hedges
the image and the spark - Dulac and Artaud reviewed, Sandy Flitterman-Lewis
Dali and "Un Chien Andalou" - the nature of a collaboration, Haim Finkelstein
"Un Chien Andalou" - the talking cure, Stuart Liebman
between the sign of the scorpion and the sign of the cross - "L'Age d'Or", Allen Weiss
documentary Surrealism - on "Land Without Bread", Tom Conley
the critical grasp - Bunuelian cinema and its critics, Linda Williams. Part 2 Documents: Robert Desnos's and Man Ray's scenario for "L'Etoile de Mer". Part 3 Bibliography on Dada and Surrealist film.