Cunningham

The great choreographer (he hated being called that) and dancer Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) was nothing if not a trailblazer on the New York dance scene, so it is highly appropriate that director Alla Kovgan would seek to express the essence of his style and philosophy in an innovative way. This she does by using 3D to bring Cunningham’s breathtaking works to life, much like Wim Wenders did a decade ago with the works of Pina Bausch in Pina. Alongside interviews with life partner John Cage and collaborators such as Robert Rauschenberg, there remains the dance itself—simply glorious!

‘One of Merce Cunningham’s own quotes throws light on the film’s ultimate success. “I don’t describe it, I do it,” he says. Cunningham does show performances of his dances, but these are contemporary recreations of them, brought to life with visionary technology and aesthetic flourishes. As a piece of cinema, it’s engaging, challenging and often exciting… Kovgan aimed to merge dance and 3D, and succeeds… The revolutionary visuals find endless ways to honour the mind of an innovator…’—Ella Kemp, Empire