In 1974, a young Frenchman, Philippe Petit, stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's Twin Towers, then the worlds tallest buildings. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested but then released. Petit was faced with numerous extraordinary challenges: he had to find a way to bypass security; smuggle the heavy steel cable and rigging equipment into the towers; pass the wire between the two rooftops; anchor the wire and tension it to withstand the winds and the swaying of the buildings. James Marsh’s documentary brings Petit’s extraordinary adventure to life through the testimony of Philippe himself, and some of the co-conspirators who helped create the unique spectacle that became known as the artistic crime of the century.
“Brilliantly directed, hugely entertaining documentary that tells a genuinely stunning story and paints a fascinating portrait of an extraordinary man”
Matthew Turner, View London
