Dialoge 09 Neues Museum by Sasha Waltz and Guests is a gem. It is one those rare dance films that is actually a pleasure to watch. The makers didn't go to great lengths to be innovative for the sake of being innovative. Instead they just made a beautiful film with beautiful dance and beautiful music set in a beautiful space. You can see the attention to detail in everything: the movements, the costumes, the hair and make-up and the lighting.
The piece was created on the occasion of the reopening of the Neues Museum in Berlin. The dance explores the rooms and the architecture of the museum before the collection moved in. Some sections were filmed during a performance with an audience present. If you had been there during the performance you would probably not have been able to see every section.
After seeing the trailer I just HAD to go to Berlin to visit the Neues Museum myself. It is an amazing space. The museum houses a large collection of ancient Egyptian art which is also well worth the visit.
You can buy the DVD for 20 euro plus postage here. It's a no frills DVD. No extras, no interviews, no outtakes from the rehearsals, just the film. But the film doesn't need any extras.
In case you wonder, the music in the trailer is Villarosa Sarialdi by Thomas Jennefelt, a stunning piece of choir music on par with Gyorgy Ligeti's Lux Aeterna.
Update: You can now also watch the video online.