Recently, 3-D has begun to shake off its reputation for gimmickry and be taken seriously as a means of cinematic expression by esteemed filmmakers from Martin Scorsese ("Hugo") to Werner Herzog ("Cave of Forgotten Dreams"). Still, "Pina" is something special.

Nominated for an Oscar, the documentary inspired by the work of the late, visionary dancer-choreographer Pina Bausch opens Friday in St. Louis. Its director is Wim Wenders, whose films include "Paris, Texas" and "Wings of Desire." Recently, Wenders spoke with the Post-Dispatch from a promotional stop in New York. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q • "Pina" has been called a breakthrough film for 3-D technology. It gives the viewer the feeling of occupying the same space as the people onscreen. What went into achieving that effect?

A • Well, from the first moment that I discussed the film with my stereographer (Alain Derobe) — because in order to do a 3-D movie today, you need a specialist (to record the images) — I told him, we have to invent a different kind of 3-D than the one we have seen so far. We have to invent a 3-D that is not effects-driven, and is not calling attention to itself, but will put itself into the service of what the film is about, and it's about the art of Pina Bausch. A 3-D that is natural, simple and easy on the eye.

Q • What were some of the challenges involved in taking that approach?

A • 3-D is a tempting thing. With every shot, you can go a little further, and you can go a little bit more for the effect. So with every shot, we had to restrain ourselves. We only caved in on (a few) occasions. In the beginning of the film, a curtain comes very close to the camera, and you really feel like it's going by your face. That was a little thing where we just thought, well, that should be permitted.

Q • What was it about this project that you felt particularly lent itself to 3-D?

A • We wanted to explore the kingdom of dance. So we tried to let the audience be in the same element that the dancers are in. With every gesture, with every step, with every movement, they discover space, from scratch.

Q • Were you interested in reaching moviegoers who may not be familiar with Pina Bausch, or even interested in modern dance at all?

A • That was my true mission. The target group was people who say, "Dance is boring and has nothing to do with me." Because I was one of them, and that was my own attitude: Include me out. And then I saw a piece by Pina ("Café Muller"), and it blew me away, and it moved me to tears. And ever since then, even hardboiled guys that I take to see a piece by Pina — guys who say, "Wim, please let me out of here, I don't want to spend an evening watching dance" — 10 minutes into it, there they are with tears in their eyes. It's for those kind of people that I made the movie.

Q • How did you meet Bausch and become interested in making a film about her work?

A • We met after that very first night when I saw her work for the very first time. The next morning, for just a brief coffee. I was so enthused about the incredible new land that she'd opened to me that in that first meeting I told her, "Pina, eventually we have to make a movie together." She didn't say much, but the next time we met, she said, "Hey, Wim, that was a good idea. We should pursue that."

Q • "Pina" includes four Bausch pieces, along with choreography inspired by her work. How did her death (on June 30, 2009, in Wuppertal, Germany, at age 68) affect your plans for the film?

A • In the two years before she died, we had really advanced the project. Everything was laid out so that we could start shooting in September of 2009. But she passed away when we were in preproduction, and I canceled the film. We had dreamt of it together for 20 years, and I felt that it was pointless to continue.

A couple of months later, the dancers started to pull me back in. They were about to rehearse the pieces that Pina had put on the agenda for us to film, and they had decided to continue the company on their own. And they made me understand that this was maybe the last time these pieces would ever be performed, and made me realize how much Pina had looked forward to using this whole new 3-D language to film her work in. We couldn't make the film with Pina anymore — that was over. But I slowly started to understand that maybe, together, we could make a film for Pina.