'Pina' brings a dancer back to life

Like his countryman Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders was among the most adventurous and intellectually daring directors of the German New Wave of the '70s and '80s, and has devoted much of his energy in recent years to making documentaries -- some about music (including "The Buena Vista Social Club"), some about architecture (an upcoming 3-D film).

Now there's "Pina," about revolutionary modern dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch, who died of cancer two days before filming was to begin, and only five days after being diagnosed.

If one wants to read a sense of disequilibrium and even disorientation into "Pina," there's plenty to back that up. But the film seems to reflect perfectly its subject's sensibility and gift for disquieting motion. Wenders eschews conventional narrative and biopic boilerplate, and looks for Bausch through her dance. The performances are captivating, and the filmmaking first-rate.

Bausch came from Wenders' hometown of Düsseldorf. The filmmaker was a fan of the dancer's work for decades, and had to be persuaded by members of her company to continue when Bausch suddenly died. Between their solos and duets, the dancers remember their work with Bausch, how she taught them, what she demanded. That the voices and the face are not always in synch adds a fracturing element to a series of reflections that mirror Wenders' effort toward artistic emulation, and tribute.