Fall 2009
October 19
 Man
on Wire
UK/US, 2008 94 min, documentary
Director: James Marsh
Here is an invitation to accompany Philippe Petit, French master of the
high wire, on his walk through space, between the Twin Towers in NYC.
Through a series of interviews with Petit and his team of close friends, we
witness the formation of the dream in 1960's France, the rigorous training
and preparation for the project over a decade, culminating in the tense
pre-dawn hours of August 7, 1974, with the ingenious, covert transport of
massive equipment to the 82nd floor of the South Tower , and the engineering
brilliance of setting up successfully a high wire cable. The grand
finale transports, with the phantasmagoric image of Petit emerging 450 metres
above ground from the clouds. This combination of documentary and sang-froid
thriller is not to be missed. Cirque de Soleil without the safety net!
AWARDS:
- Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary, Sundance Film Festival
2008.
- Academy
Award for Best Documentary Feature 2008.
LINKS
» Offical
website with trailer.
» "What
I am thinking about is, I am not thinking." review
by Roger Ebert.
» Film
Marks Balancing Act Between Twin Towers. NPR interview
with Phillipe Petit (transcript and streaming audio).
» Walking
on Air Between the Towers; NY Times review. SPONSOR
Gibsons Building Supply
www.gibsonsbuilding.com
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