For anyone who has doubted the validity of performance art, this is the film that will change your mind. The self-described “grandmother of performance art,” Abramovic has spent forty fearless years on the edge, craftingart of the most visceral, soulful, and unforgettable sort. She once trekked halfway across the Great Wall of China to meet her boyfriend, who was walking in from the opposite direction; she allowed audience members to pierce her with pins; she stood naked, suspended on a gallery wall. Now she prepares for her most demanding work yet, as part of a groundbreaking show at MoMA. Matthew Akers’ unflinching, emotionally riveting, and brilliantly constructed film interweaves footage from past performances with startlingly honest interviews, crafting the portrait of a provocateur/artist who, in search of essential truths about the human body and spirit, has ventured deeply into territory where few dare to travel. (JS)