<P> <i>The Cinema of North Africa and the Middle East</i> contains twenty-four essays, each concerning an individual film from Morocco all the way to Iran. The volume explores not only the established film cultures of Turkey, Egypt, and Israel, but also the nascent cinemas of Palestine and Syria. Selected films include <i>Cairo Station</i> (Egypt, 1958), <i>The Runner</i> (Iran, 1989), <i>Once Upon a Time, Beriut</i> (Lebanon, 1994), <i>Ten</i> (Iran, 2002), and <i>Uzak</i> (Turkey, 2003). With a preface by Cannes Palme d'Or-winning director Abbas Kiarostami, <i>The Cinema of North Africa and the Middle East</i> unveils a diverse region of filmmaking.</P>