--- title: "Pina" year: 2011 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/pina" fi1m_id: "pina" imdb_id: "tt1440266" tmdb_id: 57276 wikidata_id: "Q327027" fi1m_score: 80 critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 15 published: "2026-10-01T21:39:48.077972+00:00" updated: "2026-10-01T21:40:14.732835+00:00" region: "MY" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Pina (2011) Directed by Wim Wenders · 1h 46m · Documentary ## Identity Pina - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/pina - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** pina - **IMDb ID:** tt1440266 - **TMDB ID:** 57276 - **Wikidata ID:** Q327027 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440266/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/57276, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q327027 **Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 74 from 15 reviews *In a sentence:* We would happily exchange several interviews for a few more minutes of dancing > Wim Wenders gives Pina Bausch’s dances the space and attention they deserve in a moving film. The affectionate interviews interrupt the pleasure and offer newcomers too little help with the woman behind the work. ## Synopsis Wim Wenders brings the dances of Pina Bausch to the screen, alongside recollections from the people who perform them. Regina Advento, Malou Airaudo and Ruth Amarante appear as themselves among the ensemble, while Pina Bausch appears in archive footage. Performances and interviews sit beside one another, with 3D giving the choreography depth and outdoor settings taking the dancers away from the theatre. The film approaches its subject through movement and memory rather than a detailed account of her life. The performers demonstrate the work and speak about the woman who shaped it. ## Review *Pina* is a moving dance film that gives newcomers too little help with the woman behind the work. Wim Wenders puts his faith in the performances, giving them enough space to justify the attention even if dance is not usually what we choose for an evening. The dancers make that faith look sensible. The trouble comes when their recollections have to tell us who Pina Bausch was, because affection alone supplies little explanation. Hélène Louvart and Jörg Widmer use 3D to make the distance between performers readable, so that movement has somewhere to travel. It is easier to register a body’s weight when we can see the space it occupies. The static framing is particularly valuable: it lets us look across an image without being hurried towards whichever detail the camera has selected. We were moved by the dancers’ physical effort. Being given time to watch them within the frame, rather than constantly having our attention redirected, made that effort harder to take for granted. The outdoor staging gives the dancing a welcome change of surroundings. Away from a theatre, the movements acquire a strangeness that makes them absorbing; familiar human bodies start doing things an ordinary setting does not prepare us for. There is pleasure in simply looking, and the film allows that without insisting that every movement be translated into a message. The ensemble’s commitment keeps these passages from feeling like decorative excursions, and the performances hold our attention without needing an accompanying explanation. Toni Froschhammer’s editing faces a harder problem in the movement between dance and recollection. Each return to the interviews asks us to shift from watching the work to listening to people describe its importance, and the rhythm repeatedly slackens. Their devotion is clear well before the film has finished establishing it. Some of this testimony matters, but the repetition makes us wish the director had been less reluctant to trim affectionate material. Thomas Hanreich’s music helps sustain the mood across these changes, though it cannot make the spoken passages as absorbing as the dancing. Our attention stays with the performers, which is the right order of priorities for a film so dependent on their presence. Against the usual expectations of an arts documentary, the relative scarcity of explanation is initially refreshing. It is possible to enjoy the choreography without already knowing where it belongs in dance history. Pina Bausch appears in archive footage, but her personal life and reasons for making the work remain largely unexplored. That need not disqualify a film built around performance, yet it leaves the reminiscences with too little to add to what we can already see. We wanted more about how the work was made and fewer assurances of its importance. The reverence sometimes makes the subject harder to understand, particularly for anyone meeting her work through this film. Approach it as an encounter with the dances and there is much to enjoy. Expect a rounded account of their maker and the omissions will bother you. An existing interest in dance will help, but curiosity is enough. Give it a large screen and some undivided attention; this is a poor choice for an evening spent checking a phone. *Fi1m score 80, published 1 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics welcome Pina as a moving tribute to Pina Bausch, with praise centred on the dancers’ physical commitment and Wenders’ use of 3D. The reviews repeatedly credit the depth of the images with giving the choreography a compelling screen presence, rather than merely recording it. The company’s performances carry much of the emotion, and even several less persuaded critics admire how the film brings dance into cinema. The reservations concern what surrounds those performances, and what is missing. Several critics find the dancers’ interviews distracting or repetitive; others want more context about Bausch’s life and work. The spread is wide despite the positive majority, ranging from enthusiastic endorsements to complaints of excessive reverence and muddle. The New Yorker offers a distinct objection: it admires the 3D but argues that the outdoor staging and emphasis on dance underrepresent the unsettling theatrical side of Bausch’s work. ## Straight answers **Is Pina worth watching?** *Pina* is worth watching for its moving dance performances, even without an existing interest in dance, and we score it 80. Wenders gives the dancers space and time to hold our attention, though the affectionate interviews repeatedly slow the film and offer too little explanation for anyone seeking a rounded portrait of Pina Bausch. **How long is Pina, and what is it rated?** *Pina* runs 1h 46m. It is a documentary film. **Where can I watch Pina in Malaysia?** *Pina* is not on any streaming or rental service in Malaysia at the moment. It is available in 16 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How does Pina compare to The Red Shoes?** *Pina* offers a direct encounter with dance performances, while [*The Red Shoes*](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes) makes a dancer’s ambition feel urgent and dangerous; we recommend the latter more broadly. Both take dance’s physical demands seriously, but *Pina* suits those drawn to choreography rather than drama, with interviews that interrupt the pleasure; *The Red Shoes* has only an occasional weakness for self-important dialogue. **What should I watch after Pina?** After *Pina*, try [*The Red Shoes*](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes) (1948, Fi1m 92): For another film that takes the physical demands of dance seriously. Then [*Beau Travail*](https://film.one/film/beau-travail) (1999, Fi1m 86): Bodies, discipline and desire, with movement expressing what the characters cannot say. ### Reviews we read (15) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): Turan calls the film a knockout and praises its immersive use of 3-D to bring Pina Bausch’s dances vividly to the screen. He finds the dancer interviews less effective, saying they distract from the dances themselves. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-jan-13-la-et-pina-20120113-story.html) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (85/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film a tremendous, poignant tribute that captures the yearning at the heart of Bausch’s work. He especially praises the dancers’ overwhelming physicality and the way 3D gives the choreography presence. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/apr/21/pina-review) - **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (B+): Kohn finds the film visually beautiful and heartfelt, but ultimately slight and not essential. He praises the immersive use of 3D while criticizing the reminiscences for distracting from Bausch’s dances. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/wim-wenders-3d-dance-tribute-pina-is-both-gorgeous-and-slight-50226/) - **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): The available page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is not exposed in the accessible text. No specific element praised or criticized is available. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/pina-1) - **Empire**, David Hughes (78/100, inferred): The review calls the film a worthy, moving tribute to Pina Bausch. It praises the ensemble’s heartfelt performances and the way 3D captures the emotion in Bausch’s choreography. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pina-review/) - **Variety**, Leslie Felperin (75/100, inferred): Felperin finds the film captivating, though its lack of context may frustrate newcomers and dance purists. She praises its immersive presentation of Bausch’s choreography, especially the performances by her company. [Read](https://variety.com/2011/film/markets-festivals/pina-1117944599/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, THR Staff (70/100, inferred): The review calls the film a must for dance buffs and praises Wenders’ assured, stylish use of 3D. It singles out the strange, hypnotic dances and their imaginative settings, while noting that Bausch’s personal life and motivations remain unexplored. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pina-berlin-review-99097/) - **Screen Daily**, Lee Marshall (65/100, inferred): The accessible page does not reveal Marshall’s verdict or a specific point of praise or complaint. The review text is behind a registration prompt. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/pina/5023723.article) - **Slant Magazine**, Jaime N. Christley (2/4): The critic finds the film overly deferential and distracting, despite its impressive subject. They praise its ability to convey Bausch’s singular creative stature and the dancers’ performances. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/pina/) - **The New Yorker**, Joan Acocella (40/100, inferred): Acocella finds the film visually impressive but not especially representative of Bausch’s work. She praises its expert use of 3-D while faulting the outdoor staging and emphasis on dance over the unsettling theatrical scenes. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/pina-bauschs-zone-of-discomfort) - **HeyUGuys**, Jamie Neish (4.5/5): The critic calls the film a majestic, enterprising tribute to Pina Bausch. They single out Wenders’ bold cinematography and carefully integrated 3D for making the choreography especially compelling. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/pina-3d-review/) - **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the documentary an exhilarating, must-see celebration of Pina Bausch’s work. They praise Wenders’ kinetic use of 3D, while finding the dancers’ interviews repetitive. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/pina-pictures-dance-dance-revolution-34400/) - **Paste**, Emily Kirkpatrick (8.7/10): Kirkpatrick gives the film an enthusiastic verdict, calling it a haunting and beautiful elegy. She praises how 3D draws viewers into the dancers’ performances and merges art with everyday life. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/pina-1) - **Eye for Film**, Anne-Katrin Titze (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a powerful homage, though Wenders’s occasional sentimentality feels too heavy. She praises the immersive 3D presentation of Bausch’s choreography and its precise attention to movement. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/pina-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (C): Goldberg finds the film visually splendid but ultimately muddled and tiresome. He praises Wenders’s blend of theater and cinema, especially the use of 3D and static framing. [Read](https://collider.com/pina-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Wim Wenders - **Director:** Wim Wenders - **Screenplay:** Wim Wenders - **Cinematography:** Hélène Louvart, Jörg Widmer - **Editor:** Toni Froschhammer - **Music:** Thomas Hanreich - **Costume design:** Rolf Börzik, Marion Cito - **Producer:** Gian-Piero Ringel, Wim Wenders - **Cast:** Regina Advento as Self; Malou Airaudo as Self; Ruth Amarante as Self; Pina Bausch as Self (archive footage); Jorge Puerta as Self; Mechthild Großmann as Self; Rainer Behr as Self; Andrey Berezin as Self - **Runtime:** 1h 46m - **First release (Germany):** 24 February 2011 - **Genres:** Documentary - **Budget:** $4 million - **Box office:** $15 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-cV74Mq7KU ## Where to watch in Malaysia Not streaming, renting or buying in Malaysia at the last check. Also available in: AT, BE, BR, CA, DE, DK, ES, GB, IE, IL, IT, MX, NL, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2012: Best Documentary Feature Film (nominated) - International Submission to the Academy Awards 2012: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated) - European Film Award for Best Documentary 2011: European Film Award for Best Documentary (won) ## If you liked this - *The Red Shoes* (1948), Fi1m 92: For another film that takes the physical demands of dance seriously — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes.md) - *Beau Travail* (1999), Fi1m 86: Bodies, discipline and desire, with movement expressing what the characters cannot say — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/beau-travail.md) - *Rize* (2005): A dance documentary that pays closer attention to the community around its performers - *The Fits* (2015): A young dancer’s unease becomes something strange, physical and difficult to explain - *Cunningham* (2019): Another dance documentary that uses 3D to clarify how bodies occupy space --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/pina