Man on Wire

Director: James Marsh

IMDB: On August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit, a French wire walker, juggler, and street performer days shy of his 25th birthday, spent 45 minutes walking, dancing, kneeling, and lying on a wire he and friends strung between the rooftops of the Twin Towers. Uses contemporary interviews, archival footage, and recreations to tell the story of his previous walks between towers of Notre Dame and of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, his passions and friendships, and the details of the night before the walk: getting cable into the towers, hiding from guards, and mounting the wire. It ends with observations of the profound changes the walk's success brought to Philippe and those closest to him.

BBC synopsis: Documentary telling how Frenchman Philippe Petit fulfilled his dream of walking on a wire strung between the rooftops of New York's Twin Towers in 1974.

Rotten Tomates: James Marsh's doc about artist Phililppe Petit's artful caper brings you every ounce of suspense that can be wrung from a man on a (suspended) wire.

Released: 01 Aug 2008 First broadcast: 02 Aug 2009

– IMDB: 8.0
– Rotten Tomates: 100%
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