PINA

Encountering the work of the revolutionary dancer choreographer Pina Bausch for the very first time reminded me yet again of the great cultural abyss I live in at times, and if it hadn’t been for watching Wim Wender’s enchanting documentary, I would have missed knowing about her completely.

Ms. Bausch once described the human impulse to dance, as ‘there are some things in life that leave you speechless’. I’d add that just seeing this stunning record of her and others performing her postmodern pieces, has exactly the same effect.  

Since the 1970’s German born Pina had been a leading exponent of a style known as Tanztheater which with a unique blend of highly stylized and precise gestures of every part of the body and very expressive movements she created with her elaborate cooperation of her performers they dance ‘dramas’ of desire, sexual violence and the passage of time.  The music she chose for each piece is exhilarating and the sets total genius.  Her group was based north west Germany in the theatre renamed after her Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch in a city where the streets and surrounding areas also served as settings for her work.

Sadly Pina died very suddenly just before Wender started filming in 2009, but he has combined archival footage with contemporary performances of some her most celebrated works to get a real essence of the woman. He conducts interviews with many of the diverse group dancers but dubs their comments on to their unmoving faces as if he is reading their minds.  The sheer love and devotion of their mentor shines through each and every one of them, most of whom are uncharacteristically (for dancers) middle-aged and older.

Pina’s work is a sheer joy and I sat transfixed to my seat at the revelation of my (late) discovery.  Evidently choreography is considered a transient art with dances struggling to outlive their creators, but its simply hard to imagine that will be the case with Pina’s work.  And in fact some of her works are being staged in London as part of the Cultural Olympiad preceding this summer’s Olympic Games.

P.S. I caught this movie in London on DVD BUT the original 3D version is still enjoying a Limited Theatrical Run in the US, so I know what I'll be doing this weekend. 


It's also Nominated for an Oscar too.  Unmissable : it will blow your mind away.


★★★★★★★★★★