Pina

Colour, DCP
Germany, France, 2010, 106 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

After the death of German choreographer and dancer Pina Bausch (1940-2009), Wim Wenders shot a movie that documents the "posthumous life” of this artistic celebrity, in beguiling images. An ensemble came together around Bausch and stayed with her for decades. In the memory of the bodies of the ensemble members, her creative vision flows into the form of an organism whose "immortality” is ensured by the movie camera. Wenders, who has shown his interest in the art and music scene in numerous other movies, offers up scenes of the ensemble’s noted performances. But he also lets the protagonists leave the stage and infect the life of their hometown, Wuppertal. The members of the ensemble reveal that working with Pina Bausch meant submitting to intense, long-term pressure. In her conception, physical aptitude and age ceased to limit dance, which instead became a manifestation of life. The film was much discussed at this year’s Berlinale, not least because Wim Wenders shot Pina in 3D.

About the director

Wim Wenders (b. 1945, Düsseldorf) studied medicine and philosophy. He began writing film criticism while enrolled at the Academy of Film and Television in Munich. He is a former chairman and later president of the European Film Academy. He is also a producer and teacher. Filmography (selected): Kings of the Road (Im Lauf der Zeit, 1976 – FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes), The State of Things (Der Stand der Dinge, 1982), Paris, Texas (1984 – Palme d’Or , FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes), Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin, 1987 – Best Director at Cannes), Faraway, So Close! (In weiter Ferne, so nah!, 1993 – Grand Prix of the Jury at Cannes), The Million Dollar Hotel (2000 – Jury Prize at Berlin), 8 (2007), Palermo Shooting (2008), If Buildings Could Talk (2010).