In his introduction before the presentation of his latest
film, a documentary called Pina, director Wim Wenders claimed that if you’d asked him in the mid-80s if he’d
ever make a film about dance, he’d have laughed. Then he saw a performance by
the Tanztheater Wuppertal choreographed by Pina Bausch and he was hooked. After
lengthy planning stages in preparation for a documentary, Pina suddenly died.
Ready to abandon the project completely, Pina’s dance company, some of whom
worked with her for 20 years or more, insisted they continue with a film but
make it a tribute to her work and incredible artistry.
I, like Wenders, never would have thought I’d be so
captivated by dance but this film hooked me from its first moments until the
close. Not only is the dancing some of the most wonderfully beautiful work I’ve
seen in any medium, but Wenders uses his 3D cameras to expertly capture the
performances in a way that makes it feel more like a live production.
