"Pina" is a German, 100-minute movie from 4 years ago. It was nominated at the BAFTAs (Foreign Language Film) and Oscars (Documentary) and was famous filmmaker Wim Wenders' tribute to the late dancer and dance choreographer Pina Bausch. Wenders held the eulogy at her funeral, so I assume the two were friends and pretty close. The film basically consists of interviews with Bausch, her dancers and also many dance scenes. It is probably Wenders' most known work in recent years, especially with the awards recognition it received.

Unfortunately, as much as I like the director, I cannot say I was too impressed here. It is not a film that got me interested in the multi-layered world of dancing. You already need to have a profound interest before watching in order to appreciate this film or, in a best-case-scenario, either be a dancer himself or have a personal connection to Bausch. I must say I did not even know her. She was certainly not particularly famous to the general public, even here in Germany. There weren't many sequences in this documentary that I found captivating or memorable, not to say any at all. If you have no real connection with dance or aren't a huge Wenders fan, you can skip this movie and you will not be missing much. Not recommended.

Greetings again from the darkness. One can't help but wonder how differently this documentary would have turned out had its subject, Pina Bausch, not passed away from cancer just days before filming commenced. Instead of direct insight from the famously creative choreographer, we witness the tributes she earned ... dancing from those who brought her work to life.

Director Wim Wenders had planned for years to document Ms. Bausch and her fascinating interpretative dance company. When 3D technology became portable enough to work with, he knew it was time. Unfortunately, Pina was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just a few days later. What we see on screen are re-creations of her work by those dancers who worked so closely with her. The reverence is obvious during the brief statements from the key dancers. Wenders presents these segments, not as talking heads, but instead of live head shots with voice-overs. A very nice touch.

The earthy elements of water, soil and rock are on full display as are the street scenes Pina utilized over the years. The dances are brought to life for the first time without Pina's direction. It's clear her presence and spirit remain with the dancers. The interpretive dance numbers may not be to everyone's taste, but the talent of the dancers, and especially the famed choreographer are quite obvious and impressive.

This is probably Wenders' best in years, although I admit I've skipped everything he's made since the terrible The End of Violence back in 1997. This is great, whatever the case. It's a very unconventional documentary about choreographer Pina Bausch. Well, not really. It's about her work. There's almost no biographical information throughout the film. All we really learn is that she was a choreographer, and that she's dead. I don't even think the film mentions her surname until the credits. This is all about her work, which Wenders stages with former members of her troupe. It's all about the dancing, and if you love dancing, well, this film is a real treat. The dancing is quite unconventional itself. Occasionally there would be dances with which I was not enamored, but the vast majority I loved. Apparently, this was made to be seen in 3D, but, as usual, I doubt it's worth the eye strain. It's perfectly spectacular in 2D.