3D: "Pina" by Wim Wenders

3D: "Pina" by Wim Wenders

Model of Tintin in the Theatre Lobby

An unusual occurrence for us, a movie on a Friday night, but it wasn't your regular box office blockbuster. After seeing the Tintin models in the lobby, I was tempted to see the Golden Globe winner for best animated feature, a misnomer according to my significant other. Tintin was not animation, but motion capture, damn it! Instead we went to see a tribute to the late German modern dance choreographer Pina Bausch by Wim Wenders. What made this film so special is that it was filmed in 3D.

But what does 3D really offer the viewer? It definitely makes you feel that you are much closer to the performance, plus there is definitely more pop to the movement. It might not beat seeing modern dance in person, but it is much better than seeing the flat version on TV or in a movie theatre.

Wender's "Pina" combines footage of the choreographer with her dancers and their performances, obviously among them Café Müller and Rite of Spring. Bausch is credited with creating what is known as Tanztheater, combining movement, sounds, elaborate stage sets and close collaborative work with her dancers. Some of the performances were staged outdoors in Wuppertal, Germany, at intersections, in public transit, next to factories and in parks. Her dancers ranged in age from 20 to 50, and I must admit that a dancer performing in her 50s is nothing short of stunning. The filming of "Pina" was intended to start just before Bausch's unexpected death in 2009. In the film, each of her dancers had something special to say about Bausch. One of the most moving messages was from a dancer who wished that Pina would visit her in her dreams.

Overall, the 3D "Pina" was a beautiful new experience, which leads to the next question: what other performing arts might be better experienced in 3D?

The following is the trailer for "Pina:"