“I didn’t even know who Pina Bausch was, but I thought it would be fun to dance and meet new people,” says one of the girls who stars in this charming film about 40 teenagers who never studied dance but were chosen to perform “Kontakthof” (“Contact Zone”). Bausch’s piece deals with relations between the sexes: contact, falling in love, longing, and anxiety.

For 10 months, the teens work with Bausch’s charismatic assistants, and their clumsy movements and awkward postures transform into graceful, meaningful movements before the viewers’ very eyes. Sometimes they struggle, break down, and lose patience – but they push ahead and learn to control their bodies, open their hearts, flourish, and even fall in love with the difficult task before them. And thanks to their young age and lack of experience, the rehearsals and the piece itself become a ticking hormonal bomb.

Pina Bausch (1940-2009) was a groundbreaking dancer and choreographer, whose works and unique way of working changed the world of dance. The film will be screened to mark the 15th anniversary of her death.