Pina (dir. Wim Wenders, 2011) - EveryFilmIWatch Review

Pina is a highly alternative take on a biopic documentary - a tribute more than anything, from one artist to another. Wim Wenders created this film in honour of Pina Bausch, the legendary German dance choreographer, a woman whose impact on her art form can’t possibly be overstated. The film itself is poetic; Wenders wears his passion for Bausch's work on his sleeve. Pina consists of re-stagings of Bausch's work, clippings of original performances and rehearsals, and a unique, expressionist series of interviews by the colleagues and friends of Pina herself. The interviews are unconventional - live portraits of each individual accompanied by a voice-over of their thoughts and recollections of Pina - something which allows the audience to develop a physical understanding of the subjects, and something which intrinsically allows an insight into the way that Pina herself viewed these people.

Bausch's work is extraordinary, all the more so when you consider that she was a pioneer, completely re-imagining the potential for physical storytelling and expression. Wenders showcases her craft with adoration and caution. On the one hand he stages her work with excitement and passion but, on the other, he visually acknowledges his own futility, with a hint of frustration even, that he, with his lens, can’t take part in her genius without spoiling it. The camera sways at a distance as it observes the choreography, like someone at a party who wants to be involved but is too self-aware to take the leap. It’s the right decision and his desperate desire to do her work justice is actually touching and sweeps the viewer up in the same enthusiasm.

Pina has a wonderful, almost childlike purity that is entirely reliant on Wenders' boundless admiration for the genius, daring and skill of Bausch, an artist who will be remembered for many generations to come.

EveryFilmIWatch is multi-channel film review project run by Sebastian Cox, ScriptUp co-founder. Further reviews can be found on Instagram.