'MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA'..90!

Poster of Dziga Vertov's 'Man with a Movie Camera' (1929).

Many years ago in my 'Film Appreciation Course' (1989, FTII)..I watched almost all important films from the world cinema! In that one was brilliant experiment of filming documentary..Soviet Russian master filmmaker Dziga Vertov's 'Man with a Movie Camera'..Now 90 years old!

Cinematographer Mikhail Kaufman & Director Dziga Vertov!

Dziga Vertov was a newsreel director & film theorist too! 
In 1929 he made this docu style silent film 'Man with a Movie- Camera' without scenario and actors. This film depicted daily life of that time Soviet cities and was actually filmed on the locations of Kiev, Odessa and Moscow..for over a period of 3 years. Vertov's younger brother Mikhail Kaufman worked for this as cinematographer.

Dziga Vertov..'Man with a Movie Camera' during shooting!

That was an experimentation in the cinematic communication. In this Vertov invented and deployed cinematic techniques like multiple exposure, fast- slow motions, freeze frames, match and jump cuts, split screens, extreme close-ups , tracking shots & self-reflexive visuals. His wife Elizaveta Svilova edited this film.

Dziga Vertov & wife Elizaveta Svilova..editing a film.

Mentioned that documentary film group headed by Dziga Vertov blazed the trail from the conventional newsreel to the 'image centered publicistic film' which became the basis of the Soviet film documentary. (That was before Russian filmmakers applied social realism in 1930s). And working within a Marxist ideology..Vertov strove to create a futuristic city that would serve as a commentary on existing ideals in the Soviet world!

Salute to Dziga Vertov & his 'Man with a Movie Camera'!!

- Manoj Kulkarni
  ['Chitrasrushti']