Dsiga Wertow was known among the filmmakers of the young Soviet Union as the contrarian: unlike other filmmakers, he did not believe in exhausted narrative structures and artificial film sets. Rather, he wanted to explore the possibilities of the emerging medium of film and to revolutionize it: he sought a New Vision. As the source material for this, Wertow shot footage of everyday Soviet life and industrial production, which he then combined with editing and montage to create a masterful stream of images. In the film we also see how a seemingly life-weary cameraman risks everything to capture images that no human being has ever seen before.
Man with a Movie Camera conveys a harmonious and optimistic image of the relationship between man and machine: together stronger than ever. It thrills with crazy tracking shots, ingenious montage and a tremendous passion for cinema – there has never again been such a cinematic tour de force!
Carlos Hartmann
