Pina

We had an opportunity to screen this movie by Wim Wenders as a fund raiser for City of Angels ballet. This is a documentary in 3D which includes scenes of Pina's own dances along with her dancers talking about her influence on them as well as performing in various interesting locations (warehouse, factory, field, street median, etc.) throughout the city where they company is based. The 3D was wonderfully done and a great way to capture dance. Pina's own dances can be joyful, angsty, violent, funny. Pina Bausch passed away very suddenly a few years ago, while this movie was being planned. Rather than cancel the movie, Wenders and Pina's dancers decided to continue, to make a movie as a tribute to her. What is most emotionally affecting in the movie is hearing her dancers talk about her, her influence on them, how she made them the dancers they are. They all clearly idolize and adore her and you can feel very strongly in their on-location dances all of the things they feel about her and what her loss means to them. There is an amazing scene where old footage of Pina dancing in Cafe Muller is inserted into the dance with her current dancers. This is a terrific use of 3D technology and a wonderful documentary of a creative genius and the people she inspired.