Beginning with an exploration of Klossowski's unconventional approach to literary and philosophical production, Michael Newell Witte traces the international impact that Klossowski and his cohorts in the Paris College de Sociologie had on the work of some of the most radical artists, filmmakers and theorists of the second half of the 20th century, with a spotlight on the critical reception of surrealist concepts within the work of the Italian film director Pier Paolo Pasolini and the Mexican filmmaker, artist and theatre practitioner, Juan Jose Gurrola.

By engaging with concepts like acinema, the tableau vivant, simulation, anti-economy and the theory of the instinctual drives, this book offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of avant-garde aesthetics, challenging traditional narratives and providing new insights into the complex intellectual history that underlies the fields of avant-garde film and film theory.