Cunningham
UW Cinematheque 821 University Ave., UW Vilas Hall, Room 4070, Madison, Wisconsin
press release: Germany, France, USA | 2019 | DCP | 93 min.
Director: Alla Kovgan
An icon of modern dance, Merce Cunningham revolutionized his art form through collaborations with fellow luminaries like John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol. Packed with a wealth of archival footage and dazzling performances newly filmed in 3-D, Cunningham’s artistic evolution is brought to life in this captivating documentary. “We watch the dancers from close up and on all sides, our proximity enhanced by the magic of 3-D. The elegance of the cinematography turns these passages into the stanzas of a visual poem. Cunningham succeeds in a way most dance documentaries do not: as an art object in and of itself” (The New Yorker).
Premiere Showcase: Crafted with the same curatorial acuity we bring to our repertory series, the Premiere Showcase presents exciting new documentaries and feature films by contemporary directors that would otherwise have no theatrical venue in the area. In early 2020, we will present the final feature film from Agnès Varda, a new 3D documentary celebrating the choreography of Merce Cunningham, and the latest installment in Michael Apted’s celebrated Seven Up series of documentaries, among others.