# Dziga Vertov

> Russian-Soviet documentary/avantgarde filmmaker (1896-1954)

**Wikidata**: [Q55193](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55193)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dziga_Vertov)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/dziga-vertov

## Summary
Dziga Vertov, born David Abelevich Kaufman, was a pioneering Russian-Soviet documentary and avant-garde filmmaker active from 1917 until his death in 1954. He is best known for founding the "Kinoks" collective and directing the landmark 1929 silent film *Man with a Movie Camera*, which revolutionized the documentary genre through innovative editing and camera techniques.

## Biography
- **Born:** December 21, 1895 (or January 2, 1896)
- **Nationality:** Russian, Soviet (Citizenship included the Russian Empire, Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and Soviet Union)
- **Education:** Not specified in the provided source material.
- **Known for:** Pioneering the "Kino-Eye" theory, leading the Kinoks collective, and directing the silent documentary *Man with a Movie Camera*.
- **Employer(s):** Kinoks (1920s Soviet collective of filmmakers); Soviet film production entities (implied by citizenship and work period).
- **Field(s):** Film director, screenwriter, film editor, cinematographer, documentary film.

## Contributions
- **Man with a Movie Camera (1929):** Directed this seminal Soviet silent documentary film, which is widely regarded as a masterpiece of avant-garde cinema and a defining work of the documentary genre.
- **Kinoks Collective (1919):** Co-founded and led this 1920s Soviet collective of filmmakers, which promoted the "Kino-Eye" theory and rejected traditional narrative filmmaking in favor of capturing "life caught unawares."
- **Documentary Filmmaking:** Produced numerous nonfictional motion pictures throughout his career, establishing new standards for editing, camera movement, and the use of the camera as a tool for social observation.
- **Avant-Garde Theory:** Developed and articulated the concept of the "Kino-Eye," arguing that the camera lens could perceive reality more truthfully than the human eye, influencing generations of filmmakers.

## FAQs
**What was Dziga Vertov's real name?**
His birth name was David Abelevich Kaufman, though he is universally known by his professional pseudonym, Dziga Vertov. He also used various aliases including Denis Arkad'evič Kaufman and Dsiga Wertow in different contexts.

**What is the significance of the film *Man with a Movie Camera*?**
Released in 1929, this silent documentary is considered a landmark of the avant-garde movement and the documentary genre. It is celebrated for its innovative editing techniques, lack of intertitles, and its meta-narrative about the act of filmmaking itself.

**Which political entities did Dziga Vertov live under during his lifetime?**
Vertov was born in the Russian Empire and lived through its dissolution, subsequently living under the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and finally the Soviet Union until his death in 1954.

**What awards did Dziga Vertov receive?**
He was a recipient of the Order of the Red Star, the Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945," and the Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow."

**What was the "Kinoks" group?**
Kinoks was a collective of Soviet filmmakers established in 1919 that Vertov helped lead. The group was dedicated to the "Kino-Eye" theory and sought to create a new form of cinema based on the unique capabilities of the camera.

## Why They Matter
Dziga Vertov fundamentally altered the trajectory of cinema by challenging the dominance of narrative fiction and establishing the documentary as a powerful artistic and political medium. His "Kino-Eye" theory posited that the camera could reveal a "higher truth" by capturing life unawares, a concept that influenced the development of cinéma vérité and modern documentary practices. Without his work, the evolution of editing techniques, the use of the camera as an active observer, and the acceptance of non-fiction film as high art would have been significantly delayed. His legacy endures in the work of countless filmmakers who continue to explore the boundaries between reality and representation.

## Notable For
- Directing the 1929 silent documentary *Man with a Movie Camera*, a cornerstone of film history.
- Founding the Kinoks collective in 1919 to promote the "Kino-Eye" movement.
- Being a multi-disciplinary filmmaker who worked as a director, screenwriter, editor, and cinematographer.
- Receiving the Order of the Red Star and medals for his labor during the Great Patriotic War.
- Pioneering the avant-garde documentary style that rejected traditional storytelling.
- Living through and documenting the transition from the Russian Empire to the Soviet Union.
- Holding citizenship in four distinct Russian/Soviet political entities over his lifetime.

## Body

### Early Life and Identity
Dziga Vertov was born David Abelevich Kaufman on December 21, 1895, with some sources citing January 2, 1896. He was a citizen of the Russian Empire at birth, later becoming a citizen of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and the Soviet Union. Throughout his life, he was known by various aliases including Denis Arkad'evič Kaufman, Denis Abramovich Kaufman, Dsiga Wertow, and Dsiga Wertoff. His native label was Дзи́га Ве́ртов, and his official name in Russian was Дави́д А́белевич Ка́уфман. He passed away on February 12, 1954.

### Career and Professional Roles
Vertov's professional life spanned from 1917 to 1954. He was an instance of a human and held multiple occupations: film director, screenwriter, film editor, cinematographer, and director of creative works. His primary field was documentary film, a genre defined as a nonfictional motion picture. He was a key figure in the Kinoks, a 1920s Soviet collective of filmmakers that began in 1919. This group was central to his work, serving as a platform for his avant-garde theories and filmmaking practices.

### Major Works and Achievements
The most significant work attributed to Vertov is *Man with a Movie Camera*, a 1929 Soviet silent documentary film. This work is notable for its sitelink count of 42, indicating its high profile in knowledge bases. As a director, he controlled the artistic and dramatic aspects of film production, while also working as a cinematographer to oversee camera and lighting crews and as a film editor to select and combine raw footage into sequences. His contributions to the screenwriting field involved writing for films, and his work in the documentary genre helped define the medium's potential.

### Awards and Recognition
Vertov received several prestigious awards during his lifetime. He was awarded the Order of the Red Star, a Soviet military award established in 1930. He also received the Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945," a civilian labor award for World War II, and the Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow," a commemorative medal established in 1947. These honors reflect his status and contributions to the Soviet state and its cultural and military efforts.

### Historical Context and Citizenship
Vertov's life was deeply intertwined with the political upheavals of the 20th century. He was born in the Russian Empire, a sovereign state that existed from 1721 to 1917 and spanned Eurasia and North America. Following the empire's dissolution in 1917, he lived under the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (1917–1922) and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1922–1991), which was the largest constituent republic of the Soviet Union. He spent the majority of his career within the Soviet Union (1922–1991), a former country in Eurasia. His work period began in 1917, coinciding with the Russian Revolution, and ended with his death in 1954.

### Legacy and Influence
Vertov's influence extends through his notable work, *Man with a Movie Camera*, which remains a subject of study and admiration. His approach to filmmaking, characterized by the "Kino-Eye" theory, challenged conventional narrative structures and emphasized the unique capabilities of the camera. This approach influenced the development of documentary film and avant-garde cinema. His legacy is preserved in numerous databases and encyclopedias, including the Encyclopædia Britannica and the Great Russian Encyclopedia. He is remembered as a pioneer who transformed the way reality is captured and presented on screen.

### Administrative and Technical Details
Vertov's identity is cataloged with numerous identifiers across global databases. His VIAF ID is 247149066396265601002, and he has a GND ID of 1086796756. He is listed in the Library of Congress Authority ID as n80001203 and has a Bibliothèque nationale de France ID of 119405184. His Wikidata description identifies him as a "Russian-Soviet documentary/avantgarde filmmaker (1896-1954)." He has a sitelink count of 58, indicating his presence in 58 different language versions of Wikipedia. His work period is recorded as starting in 1917 and ending in 1954.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. BnF authorities
4. The Fine Art Archive
5. www.acmi.net.au
6. International Standard Name Identifier
7. CiNii Research
8. MusicBrainz
9. RKDartists
10. SNAC
11. Find a Grave
12. filmportal.de
13. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
14. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
15. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
16. [Source](http://www.ubu.com/film/vertov_dziga.html)
17. [Source](http://www.ubu.com/sound/vertov.html)
18. Autoritats UB
19. Quora
20. LIBRIS. 2017
21. Cinemathèque québécoise Linked Open Data