Pina (2011)

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writer:

Wim Wenders (written by)

Release Date:

24 February 2011 (Germany)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost

Plot:

A tribute to the late German choreographer, Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.

Plot Keywords:

Choreographer | Modern Dance | Documentary Subject's Name In Title | Performer Name In Title | Retrospective

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Regina Advento	...	Herself - Dancer
Malou Airaudo	...	Herself - Dancer
Ruth Amarante	...	Herself - Dancer
Jorge Puerta	...	Himself - Dancer (as Jorge Puerta Armenta)
Pina Bausch	...	Herself (archive footage)
Rainer Behr	...	Himself - Dancer
Andrey Berezin	...	Himself - Dancer
Damiano Ottavio Bigi	...	Himself - Dancer
Bénédicte Billet	...	Herself - Dancer
Ales Cucek	...	Himself - Dancer
Clementine Deluy	...	Herself - Dancer
Josephine Ann Endicott	...	Herself - Dancer
Lutz Förster	...	Himself - Dancer
Pablo Aran Gimeno	...	Himself - Dancer
Mechthild Grossmann	...	Herself - Dancer
Silvia Farias Heredía	...	Herself - Dancer
Barbara Kaufmann	...	Herself - Dancer
Nayoung Kim	...	Herself - Dancer
Daphnis Kokkinos	...	Himself - Dancer
Ed Kortlandt	...	Himself - Dancer
Eddie Martinez	...	Herself - Dancer
Dominique Mercy	...	Himself - Dancer
Thusnelda Mercy	...	Herself - Dancer
Ditta Miranda Jasjfi	...	Herself - Dancer
Cristiana Morganti	...	Herself - Dancer
Morena Nascimento	...	Herself - Dancer
Nazareth Panadero	...	Herself - Dancer
Helena Pikon	...	Herself - Dancer
Fabien Prioville	...	Himself - Dancer
Jean-Laurent Sasportes	...	Himself - Dancer
Franko Schmidt	...	Himself - Dancer
Azusa Seyama	...	Herself - Dancer
Julie Shanahan	...	Herself - Dancer
Julie Anne Stanzak	...	Herself - Dancer
Michael Strecker	...	Himself - Dancer
Fernando Suels	...	Himself - Dancer (as Fernando Suels Mendoza)
Aida Vainieri	...	Herself - Dancer
Anna Wehsarg	...	Herself - Dancer
Tsai-Chin Yu	...	Herself - Dancer
A.A. Gonzales	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps' (as Alexander Abad Gonzalez)
Stephen Brinkmann	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps'
M.C. Esteban	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps' (as Maritxell Checa Esterban)
Paul Hess	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps'
Rudolf Giglberger	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps'
Mu-Yi Kuo	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps'
Chrystel Wu Guillebeaud	...	Guest in 'Le Sacre du printemps'
Szu-Wei Wu	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps'
Tomoko Yamashita	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps'
Sergey Zhukov	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps'
Andy Zondag	...	Guest Dancer for 'Le Sacre du printemps'
Sandrine Pillon	...	Narrator

Directed by
Wim Wenders

Writing credits
Wim Wenders		(written by)

Produced by
Heiner Bastian	....	associate producer
Wolfgang Bergmann	....	commissioning editor
Chris Bolzli	....	co-producer
Peter Hermann	....	line producer
Gabriele Heuser	....	commissioning editor
Stephan Mallmann	....	associate producer
Helen Olive	....	line producer
Claudie Ossard	....	co-producer
Gian-Piero Ringel	....	producer
Stefan Rüll	....	associate producer
Erwin M. Schmidt	....	producer: 3D
Dieter Schneider	....	commissioning editor
Jeremy Thomas	....	executive producer
Wim Wenders	....	producer
Mohammad Zahoor	....	associate producer (as Dr. Mohammad Zahoor)

Original Music by
Thom		(as Thom Hanreich)

Cinematography by
Hélène Louvart		(director of photography)
Jörg Widmer		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Toni Froschhammer

Art Direction by
Péter Pabst

Costume Design by
Rolf Börzik
Marion Cito

Makeup Department
Fritz Schulze	....	makeup artist
Susanne Tenner	....	makeup artist
Astrid Weber	....	makeup artist
Martina Ostländer	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Tina Bockeloh	....	unit manager
Dominik Bollen	....	post-production supervisor
Christoph Stec	....	assistant to unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Heidi Frankl	....	first assistant director: re-shoot
Corinne Le Hong	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Rolf Börzik	....	set designer
Arnulf Eichholz	....	props
Péter Pabst	....	set designer
Helga Rechenbach	....	provider: artwork, Propaganda B
Ulrike Robben	....	provider: artwork, Propaganda B
Dietrich Roeder	....	stage technician
Jan Szito	....	props
Martin Winterscheidt	....	stage technician

Sound Department
Benjamin Bober	....	boom operator
Alexander Buck	....	sound editor
Ivan Dumas	....	boom operator
Andreas Eisenschneider	....	stage sound
Carsten Fischer	....	stage sound
Matthias Lempert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christian Lerch	....	dolby sound consultant
René Pretschiner	....	adr
Carsten Richter	....	foley artist
André Rigaut	....	sound recordist
Hanse Warns	....	foley mixer
Eric Horstmann	....	re-recording stage engineer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Stefan Albertz	....	stereoscopic consultant: Pictorion Das Werk
Alexander Falk	....	system administrator: Pictorion Das Werk
Kalle Max Hofmann	....	visual effects artist: Pictorion Das Werk
Christian Meckel	....	system engineer: P{ictorion Das Werk
Thomas Schernikau	....	system administrator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Rainer Ahrens	....	additional electrician
Sebastian Ahrens	....	additional electrician
Amedeo Balestrieri	....	lighting support
Hugo Barbier	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Philippe Bordelais	....	provider: 3d camera equipment
Wolfgang Buhl	....	additional electrician
Jean Chesneau	....	key grip
Alain Derobe	....	provider: 3d camera equipment
Alain Derobe	....	stereographer
Josephine Derobe	....	stereographer
Fabian Ferri	....	additional electrician
Lena Fliessbach	....	photo trainee
Francois Garnier	....	3D supervisor
Kerstin Hardt	....	follow spot operator
Stefan Hase	....	remote system technician
Udo Heinz	....	electrician
Marian Heymann	....	grip assistant
Pierrot Hoepfner	....	assistant photographer
Fernando Jacon	....	lighting director
Jens Kaschub	....	additional grip
Katl-Peter Kegler	....	additional electrician
Michael Koch	....	electrician
Jasper Lenz	....	additional electrician
Jürgen Leyh	....	additional electrician
Imke Linde	....	electrician
Christian Meyer	....	3d lens control
Christian Meyer	....	provider: 3d camera equipment
Francisco Ochoa-Wagner	....	grip assistant (as Francisco Ochoa Wagner)
Patrick J. Palmer	....	3d consultant
Christoph Philippsen	....	electrician
Eric Poss	....	additional electrician
Thierry Pouffary	....	first assistant camera
Thierry Pouffary	....	stereographer
Lars Priesack	....	follow spot operator
Florian Rettich	....	high definition supervisor
Sabine Rösing	....	second assistant camera
Roman Schauerte	....	second assistant camera
Laura Schmidt	....	photography management
Andreas Schüler	....	remote system specialist
Jennifer Simon	....	additional electrician
Benjamin Taye	....	additional electrician
Joe Verlei	....	electrician
Donata Wenders	....	still photographer
Jörg Widmer	....	steadicam operator
Martin Wysmyk	....	additional electrician
Konrad Zimmermann	....	second assistant camera
Hanna Zwinge	....	follow spot operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Harald Boll	....	wardrobe
Silvia Franco	....	wardrobe
Andreas Maier	....	wardrobe
Katrin Moos	....	wardrobe
Ulrike Schneider	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Wolf Bosse	....	digital intermediate supervisor
Michael Brink	....	digital intermediate producer
Joerg Bruemmer	....	digital intermediate on-line finishing and depth grading (as Jörg Brümmer)
Maxine Goedicke	....	assistant editor
Francesca Hecht	....	post-production coordinator
Sven Heck	....	digital intermediate on-line finishing and depth grading
Lola Knoblach	....	digital intermediate coordinator
Christian Kröhl	....	assistant color grading
Frieda Oberlin	....	digital intermediate supervisor
Moritz Peters	....	color grading
Scherin Rajakumaran	....	digital intermediate coordinator: Cinecolor Argentina
Gerhard Spring	....	digital intermediate recording
Jonas Thorbrügge	....	assistant color grading
Christian Tröger	....	digital intermediate on-line finishing and depth grading
Philip Whitfield	....	color grading
Nico Hauter	....	digital intermediate color assist (uncredited)
Philipp Orgassa	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Michael Beckmann	....	music supervisor (as Beckmann)
Barbara Berndorff	....	music legal advisor
Matthias Burkert	....	musical director
Andreas Eisenschneider	....	musical director
Milena Fessmann	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Jochen Behle	....	production driver
Tim Großkurth	....	production driver (as Tim Grosskurth)
Manfred Harth	....	production driver
Jörg Vincent Malotki	....	production driver

Other crew
Malou Airaudo	....	rehearsal director: Café Müller
Pina Bausch	....	choreographer
Bénédicte Billet	....	rehearsal director: Kontakhof
Sophie Borowsky	....	production lawyer
Xenia Brauer	....	production trainee
Boris Dillen	....	production accountant
Paula Eickmann	....	set runner
Josephine Ann Endicott	....	rehearsal director: Kontakhof
Marie-Christine Ernst	....	production coordinator
Heidi Frankl	....	personal assistant to director
Elisa Gomis	....	production coordinator
Tim Haslam	....	worldwide sales
Marie-Noelle Hauville	....	production accountant
Martina Hedwig	....	assistant to producer
Annette Hellerung	....	subtitling: Alias
Dagmar Jacobsen	....	subtitling: Alias
Barbara Kaufmann	....	rehearsal director: Le Sacre du printemps
Alainée Kent	....	for recorded picture company
Daphnis Kokkinos	....	rehearsal director: Vollmond
Anne Lensing	....	script supervisor
Manfred Marczewski	....	technical director
Gerold Marks	....	publicist: internet
Charles McDonald	....	publicist: international
Dominique Mercy	....	rehearsal director: Le Sacre du printemps
Dominique Mercy	....	rehearsal director: Vollmond
Florian Miller	....	production trainee
Barbara Mutschler	....	assistant to producer
Ina Novotny	....	assistant accountant
Volker Otte	....	film funding lawyer
Helena Pikon	....	rehearsal director: Café Müller
Jorg Ramershoven	....	technical director
Leonie Rolle	....	production trainee
Stefan Rüll	....	production lawyer (as Dr. Stefan Rüll)
René Saldjughian	....	location manager
David Scharr	....	set runner
Reinhard Schmidt	....	production trainee
Kai Siggelkow	....	floor manager
Zoe Simijonovic	....	script supervisor (as Sonja Zoe Simijonovic)
Robert Sturm	....	rehearsal director: Vollmond
Frederic Suprano	....	certified accountant (as Frédéric Suprano)
Kenji Takagi	....	rehearsal director: Le Sacre du printemps
Ben von Dobeneck	....	assistant to producer
Carolin von Roth	....	personal assistant to director
Fabien Westerhoff	....	worldwide sales
Felicitas Willems	....	stage manager
Anke Zindler	....	publicist
Paul Zischler	....	assistant to producer
Dominique Mercy	....	art advisor (uncredited)

Thanks
Solomon Bausch	....	special thanks
Tom Tykwer	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Neue Road Movies
• Eurowide Film Production (co-production)
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) (co-production)
• ZDFtheaterkanal (co-production)
• ARTE (co-production)
• Tanztheater Wuppertal (in association with)
• L'Arche Editeur (in association with)
• Pina Bausch Foundation (in association with)
• Pictorion_das Werk (in association with)
• Recorded Picture Company (RPC) (in association with)

Distributors

• NFP Marketing & Distribution (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Les Films du Losange (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Filmladen (2011) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Bio Rex Distribution (2011) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2011) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2011) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2011) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2011-2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• Londra Films P&D (2012) (Bolivia) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2012) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2011) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Reel Pictures (2012) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Sundance Selects (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Sundance Selects (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Zeta Films (2011) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Blu Shine (2012) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Blu Shine (2012) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Criterion Collection, The (2013) (USA) (DVD)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2011) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Midas Filmes (2011) (Portugal) (all media)
• Mongrel Media (2012) (Canada) (DVD)
• Odeon (2011) (Greece) (DVD) (3D blu-ray)
• Twin Pics (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twin Pics (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Pictorion_das Werk (stereoscopic post production)

Other Companies

• Alias  subtitling
• Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Angelegenheiten der Kultur und der Medien (BKM)  funding
• Catlin  insurance
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)  funding
• Cine Block Filmservice  restroom bus blocking and security (as Cineblok Koln)
• Codex Digital  digital recording equipment
• Deutsche Filmförderfonds (DFFF)  funding
• Digitale Leinwand  publicity: internet
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  funding
• Filmobil  make-up/wardrobe van
• Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen  funding
• Fredell Pogodin and Associates  Publicity
• Green House Music  adr
• Just Publicity  publicity
• Ludwig Kameraverleih  cameras and equipment
• Mad About Technology (MAT)  Super Scorpio Crane
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg  funding
• Onkel Toms Hütte  catering
• Pictorion_das Werk  digital intermediate
• Post Republic, The  sound studio
• Propaganda B  artwork
• Rough Trade Distribution  soundtrack distributed by
• Sehohrkester  sound studio
• Tonstudio Hanse Warns  foley stage
• Wenders Music  soundtrack published by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for some sensuality/partial nudity and smoking

Runtime:

USA:103 min

Country:

Germany | France | UK

Language:

German | French | English | Spanish | Croatian | Italian | Portuguese | Russian | Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG | Germany:o.Al. | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:G | Portugal:M/6 (Qualidade) | Netherlands:AL | Czech Republic:U | Singapore:PG13 | Argentina:Atp | Japan:G | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:All | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Müngstener Brücke, Solingen, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Company:

Neue Road Movies

Trivia:

Germany's official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 84th Academy Awards 2012.

Quotes:

Pina Bausch:What are we longing for? Where does all this yearning come from?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Midnight Movie Review: Film Top 10 2011 (#3.2)" (2012)

Soundtrack:

My One and Only Love

Extraordinary spectacle

To put this review in context, I went to see this film with no previous interest in contemporary dance. I have always put it into that category of 'things I just don't understand'. I understand it's a way of communication, but it's one that has never communicated to me. So my thoughts on this film probably won't have any interest to you if you are already a dance fan or a dancer or a fan of Pina Bausch in particular. But if, like me, you have heard that this is a visual feast of a film, or just that it is a Wim Wenders documentary, and are wondering whether to go see it for those reasons, this might help you decide.

I was a reluctant viewer because it was clear from the beginning that I still didn't 'get' it - what did it all mean? But visually, physically, this film ended up astounding me. It has stuck with me such that I can't stop thinking about it.

As a documentary, it doesn't do much to reveal its subject. It doesn't say much about how this woman thought, how she felt, her journey and what influenced it, what tortured her, what she was in denial about and how she related to the wider society. These are the revelations I expect in a 'great' documentary film. Films such as 'Man on Wire', 'Grizzly Man' or 'When We Were Kings'. Maybe those things are communicated though the dance itself. I don't know. Almost the whole film is dancing, interspersed with very short recollections from individual dancers. What these do get across are that Pina Bausch had a way of communicating with people and a depth of feeling that is unusual and wonderful. Those who worked with her (at least those that were interviewed) have the greatest love and admiration for her and what she was able to bring out of them. I ended up with a great feeling of admiration for her myself. Perhaps that was the point of the documentary.

But for me, it was the dancing and the way it was filmed that was astounding. It comes across with such intensity, such belief and such love, that I almost became a fan of contemporary dance. The sheer physicality. The bodies and what people could do with them. The beauty of movement. It is simply a joy to watch.

The quality of the visuals is startling. I saw it at a local arts centre which has a very good screen but I've never seen anything as sharp and as detailed as this. And the colours seemed more vivid than is usual. It was like discovering a new form of super high definition film. I understand it was filmed in 3D although I saw the 2D version. Still, it was amazing to watch. The way it is filmed also seems to work very well. It seems pretty straightforward. Most of the dance sequences are filmed quite simply on stage, but the framing seems to bring out the subjects well, even in 2D. Wenders has also filmed individual dancers or pairs of dancers in various outdoor locations - a city street, a road intersection, a train, an open cast mine. These little pieces are so beautiful and so unexpected. There is even one that is intentionally funny, where a girl gets on a train and pretends to be a robot monster. It's hilarious! So, for me a wonderful surprise. I still didn't end up understanding much of what Pina Bausch was trying to communicate but I enjoyed watching her try.