Special Screeening of Wim Wenders' „PINA 3D“ film

Enlarge image (© Volker Matten) On 10 November, Ambassador Meister welcomed invited guests to a special screening of Wim Wenders' “PINA 3D” film at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington. The performance was introduced by an informative commentary by choreographic expert Jennifer Shennan from Wellington.

“PINA 3D” represents German director Wim Wenders' homage to famous German choreographer Pina Bausch (1940-2009), a major figure in the modern dance and choreography scene. During a friendship spanning some twenty years, the two artists had planned a collaborative film about modern dance for a long time, and Bausch’s sudden death in 2009 came as a major shock to the modern dance scene in Germany and worldwide. After initially shelving the project, Wenders decided to proceed even after her death encouraged by the impassioned pleas from her family and the “Wuppertal Dance Theatre” members.

Enlarge image In “PINA 3D”, Wim Wenders and the Wuppertal Dance Theatre founded by Pina Bausch offer a cinematic kaleidoscope of some of Bausch’s most outstanding choreographic works such as “Le Sacre du Printemps”. “Vollmond”, Café Müller” and “Kontakthof”. Dance sequences in and around the city of Wuppertal are interspersed with visually and rarely documented scenes from Bausch’s working life. Selected glimpses of the artist’s formative influence on those who worked with her can be gleaned from scenes depicting brief moments throughout her career and the moving comments from those she left behind.

Wim Wenders used a three-dimensional format in his documentary because he regarded it as the essential modality to bring Bausch’s unique productions to the screen without sacrificing their vitality and flamboyance. The unique visual aid “pulls” the visitor into the screen and creates an emotional intimacy.

The evening was a great success with well over 170 guests attending the screening.