PINA in 3-D, the documentary by Wim Wenders, does its best to capture the essence of Pina Bausch, the renowned German dancer and choreographer, on film. Bausch is well known in the dance world for her radical brand of emotional, theatrical choreography – Tanztheater. This documentary pays tribute to the acclaimed artist who died suddenly before the movie was made.

PINA starts enigmatically, showing a stage being prepped with mountains of dirt for a performance of Bausch’s “Le Sacre du Printemps.”  This dance features almost -naked women dancing madly around a red dress. Men enter later, also half -naked and dancing in a suggestive manner.  Excerpts of “Le Sacre…” are shown in between asides where a dancer’s face, looking out at the audience, is revealed. The staring headshots are accompanied by voice -overs. Here, Bausch’s dancers speak about their relationship with their choreographer. The film proceeds in this manner: there are glimpses of dances and then interviews with dancers.

The film as a whole appears to focus on the idea that dance is a language itself: however, without some pre-conceived knowledge, this concept can be hard to understand. The film gives no explanation of who Pina Bausch was as a person.  Viewers are only aware of her dances. For a casual moviegoer, this movie comes off as describing an incredibly secret and secluded world. We are not left with much of a sense of who Bausch was; indeed, she is only seen in a very few instances, on old decrepit film clips.

While the documentary may not show who Pina Bausch was biographically, it definitely captures her ideas on dance. Whether we see a woman skipping around a hippopotamus; or a man and woman running around randomly placed chairs; or even a woman in a ball gown playing with a leaf blower, viewers will definitely feel the aura of Bausch.  She made people question themselves by playing with societal norms and human idiosyncrasies. It is a shame however; that the film only features parts of performances rather than showing the entire works.

While PINA offers an intriguing take on the work of Pina Bausch, the film remains a mystery for those illiterate in the dance vocabulary.  It is a visually striking and a powerful piece, but very limited to whom it is meant to reach. It is possible to appreciate the beauty of dance here, but without a deep interest in this art, the film can be monotonous.