Pina (Wim Wenders, 2011): Germany/France/UK

Reviewed by Brittany Carr. Viewed at AFI Fest 2011.

A previous dancer myself, I really had great respect for Wim Wenders for creating this film for his close friend Pina. The film Pina was a moving documentary that reminded me of how much I loved dance. Through Wenders 3D camera he brought Pina’s style of dance to life with the help of her devoted students; Wenders mentioned in the Q & A after the film that if it hadn’t been for her students there wouldn’t have been a movie for Pina. But after the loss of Pina, her students convinced Wenders to continue with the film. Her students with Pina in mind, created and danced four pieces and solo’s in her honor and in her style.
Wenders used her home city to do all the filming, and used industrial and the commercial areas surrounding the dance studio, and that gave the dancers in chiffon outfits an extreme softness to the film. Hard vs light. Pina encouraged her students to express everything that they felt; if they experienced joy, to show what joy looks like by dancing. In between the four dance pieces there was student portraits with voice overs that gave some view of Pina from her students, and what they learned from her and what they learned about themselves as dancers.
The costumes were very modern with touches of traditional dance costumes, bright colors or muted tones, and flowing fabrics for the female dancers. Pina gave them a challenge, to dance with their eyes closed to fully embrace the song and dance wholly. I think that is the purest form of expression and the best way to let it all go and just dance.
I really enjoyed this film, and the 3D just made it even more real with the dancers reaching through the screen to grab the audience and bring them into their world.I will definitely will be trying to find this movie on DVD.

“Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost” -Pina