A Breath with Pina Bausch (2004)

This near wordless documentary from Hüseyin Karabey provides unprecedented access into the creative process of one of modern dance's most compelling minds. A Breath with Pina Bausch was inspired by the city of Istanbul, the cosmopolitan centre that the Byzantine, Roman and the Ottoman Empires all called home. While pairs of performers dance seemingly improvised sketches, Bausch writes in her notebooks and smokes. Interspersed with the rehearsal scenes is the actual stage work, a performance full of stunningly poetic images that are only possible in dance. The film is a fitting tribute to the twin worlds of rehearsing and performing that make up the lives of dancers and choreographers.