Introduction: absolutely modern mysteries – Abigail Susik and Kristoffer Noheden
1 Surrealist networks and the films of Maya Deren – Krzysztof Fijalkowski
2 Savage art: Michel Zimbacca's L’Invention du monde – Michael Löwy
3 Joseph Cornell’s American appropriation of surrealism by means of cinema – Tom Gunning
4 Buñuel renascitur: return of the prodigious son – Paul Hammond
5 From Max Ernst’s collage to Jean Desvilles' cut-out animation: transposing Une semaine de bonté to film – Arnaud Maillet
6 The uncontrollable in art: the Second Situationist International on freedom, Freddie, and film – Mikkel Bolt Rasmussen
7 From Paris n’existe pas to Berkeley Square: surrealism, time travel and ‘second sight’ – Gavin Parkinson
8 ‘Open the locksmiths’: on the collaboration between surrealism and Positif – Michael Richardson
9 Mobile surrealism: Leonora Carrington’s cinematic adventures in Mexico – Felicity Gee
10 The alchemy of surrealist presence in Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain – Abigail Susik
11 Surrealist cinema in the Anthropocene: Nelly Kaplan, Jan Švankmajer, and the revolt of animals – Kristoffer Noheden
Index

‘In this major contribution to the burgeoning canon of interdisciplinary critical work in surrealism studies, Noheden and Susik have gathered together exciting new essays by leading scholars in the field, offering analyses of key films and directors which will recalibrate our understanding of post-war developments in surrealism and its cinematic expressions.’
Patricia Allmer, author of Lee Miller: Photography, Surrealism, and Beyond

‘Surrealism and film after 1945 makes a compelling case for post-1945 as truly the movement’s “age of cinema” and a golden one at that. Sharpening our understanding of surrealist engagements with cinema and cinematic engagements with surrealism, the essays in this collection provide a wondrous set of “enchanted wanderings” through postwar cinema, film culture, and aesthetics.’
James Leo Cahill, author of Zoological Surrealism: The Nonhuman Cinema of Jean Painlevé

Interest in the surrealist movement is stronger than ever, but surrealist film is still little studied compared to art and literature. Looking beyond the canonical period of the 1920s and 1930s, this volume breaks new ground by situating surrealism as a major force in postwar cinema.

The book presents new analyses of renowned figures such as Leonora Carrington, Maya Deren, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Jan Švankmajer, showing how these artists helped to shape a vibrant and distinctive surrealist film culture. In doing so, it expands the scope of both surrealism and film studies, while demonstrating the benefits of an interdisciplinary approach that looks to art, literature, and ideas. Challenging predominant narratives about the attributes of surrealist film, the book will be of interest to students and scholars of art history and film, as well as a broader audience of curators, film programmers, and art aficionados.