Tribute to a dancing legend

The four movie package, titled ‘Remembering Pina Bausch’ was presented by Anne Linsel, a film-maker, journalist and publicist who had followed the dancing legend Pina Bausch, a German, for many years.

The movies, that were shown  over two days, gave the admirers a glimpse of her work and life. It was an attempt at understanding the aesthetic sensibilities that she possessed in creating pieces that were refreshingly original.

The first movie titled ‘Dancing Dreams’ directed by Anne Linsel and Rainer Hoffmann, speaks of the experiences of 40 teenagers from various schools in Wuppertal (Germany), who trained for nearly a year to present Pina Bausch’s dance piece Kontakthof. The narration, which was humourous in some instances and heartrending at others, focussed on how the teenagers changed while learning the piece and dealt with the challenges presented by the piece.

Pina Bausch was also a part of this movie as she attended the rehearsals regularly and chose the final cast along with Jo Ann Endicott und Bénédicte Billiet former Bausch dancers, who trained the amateur dancers.  

Anne Linsel, elaborating on how she went about developing trust among the teenagers said, “Initially I went for rehearsals without the camera for 2-3 months. At that time a bond developed. I also spoke to the parents and they knew that their kids wouldn’t be undressed in front of the camera. The kids also knew that Pina wanted me to make the film.”

In the second movie titled ‘Pina Bausch’, directed again by Anne, Pina spoke extensively about the beginning of Tanztheater and the opposition and perils she faced in the initial years.   

The film filled with wonderful anecdotes and instances spoke of her struggle in a beautiful way.

It also included dancers, the set designer Peter Pabst and the costume designer Mation Cito – who had been with her for decades – talk about their experiences on working with her.

On the second day of the festival, movie ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ directed by Lilo Mangelsdorff, traced the journey of 65-year-olds, faced with the challenging task of learning Kontakthof. It was a touching movie about the ageing process and was appreciated by all.

The last movie, ‘In Search of Dance - Pina Bausch’s Other Theatre’ directed by Patricia Corboud, spoke of how Pina returned to Wuppertal in spite of fame and appreciation from all around the world.