Stunning 3D Homage To Great German Choreographer PINA - A Film By Wim Wenders

February 10, 2012

Whenever I hear the name of acclaimed German documentary filmmaker, Wim Wenders, I always think of Leonard Cohen.

Wim Wenders set his film perspective on post-9/11 America, Land Of Plenty in his home of Los Angeles and to the music of two other L.A. residents, Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson. Leonard Cohen performs both the title song, "Land Of Plenty," and "Letters" in the movie soundtrack.

Also, Lian Lunson's, Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man, has been called, by Wim Wenders, “one of the greatest music films of all time.”


So, when I read Lian's enthusiastic recommendation of Wender's film. PINA on Facebook (which seems to have some utility after all),  I went to the cinema on the day it opened in L.A. in 3D.

PINA is a feature-length dance film in 3D with the ensemble of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, featuring the unique and inspiring art of the great German choreographer, who died in the summer of 2009.

PINA is a film for Pina Bausch by Wim Wenders. 

He takes the audience on a sensual, visually stunning journey of discovery into a new dimension: straight onto the stage with the legendary Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch ensemble, he follows the dancers out of the theatre into the city and the surrounding areas of Wuppertal - the place, which for 35 years was the home and centre for Pina Bausch's creativity.  (from official website here)

The film is so powerful, so engrossing, I could not absorb it all.  I will have to see it again.

So, in turn, I would like to enthusiastically recommend this film if it comes to your area.

For some additonal background, here is a link to a movie review of PINA followed by the movie trailer.

Los Angeles Times
January 13, 2012
By Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times Film Critic

Wim Wenders' 3-D performance documentary 'Pina' takes viewers inside German choreographer Pina Bausch's dances in a way that nothing else could.

Like the great Pelé, Pina was a one-name person, a groundbreaking dancer and choreographer with accomplishments so one-of-a-kind that to her admirers no surname was necessary. But whether you're familiar with Pina Bausch's work or not, the new film "Pina" is a knockout.

Directed by the veteran Wim Wenders, "Pina" is the most exciting use of 3-D since "Avatar." The performance documentary takes us inside Bausch's extraordinary dances in a way that nothing else could. ... more

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• Wim Wenders photo and bio  (here)
• Wim Wenders interview with Jian Ghomeshi on CBC Studio Q -why he went ahead with the film after PINA died (here) 
• Movie poster at the top -Google images