Mikhail Kaufman (1897-1980) was a key figure in Soviet cinema, primarily known as a cinematographer, director, and documentary theorist. Although not an "actor" in the traditional sense, his on-screen presence is inextricably linked to one of his brother Dziga Vertov's masterpieces.

In *Man with a Movie Camera* (Chelovek s kinoapparatom, 1929), Kaufman does not play a character, but is himself the protagonist and main subject. His role is that of the camera operator who explores and captures urban life, making the very process of cinematic creation visible. His image, often shown while filming, becomes a symbol of "Kino-Eye" and the radical documentary approach. His performance is not an acting one, but an affirmation of cinema's power to observe and reveal reality.