Cunningham

This portrait of legendary American modern-dance choreographer Merce Cunningham charts his artistic course by re-creating his work for the camera. Cunningham's big idea was that dance doesn't have to be an interpretation of an existing property, it can be something complete in itself. He asked audiences to open themselves to the joy of movement - and this first feature from Russian film-maker Alla Kovgan does exactly that. It gives us the background to Cunningham's independent outlook, plus his artistic and personal relationships with the likes of John Cage, Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. The archive footage of swan-necked Cunningham in his prime is something to treasure, but the big draw here are the re-staged performances, both in the studio as well as outside, on roofs and in the trees. The special 3D presentation of the film offers an immersive sense of depth, but even the standard version gets the point across. No specialist knowledge is required to take great pleasure in the documentary, though modern-dance aficionados will be especially delighted.