Man on Wire

Man on Wire is a documentary film selected for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It is about Philippe Petit and his illegal 1974 tightrope walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center.

Fast Facts

1. Release date: August 1, 2008¹
2. Director: James Marsh¹
3. Based on the book To Reach the Clouds by Philippe Petit¹
4. Won the 2008 Sundance World Cinema Documentary film prize¹
5. MPAA rating: PG-13

Petit's Story

Philippe Petit, born on August 13, 1949, performed on the streets of Paris before taking up tightrope walking.² On August 7, 1974, Petit walked 1,350 feet above the ground across a tightrope strung 130 feet between the two towers of the World Trade Center.³ Petit walked across the rope for approximately 45 minutes.⁴ Although Petit was arrested after coming down from the rope, he became an instant folk hero and charges against him were ultimately dropped.³

Tightrope Trivia

1. Tightrope walking is also called "funambulism"
2. Ideal wire thickness: 21mm⁵
3. Performed in thin slippers or barefoot
4. The Russian town of Tsovkra-1 is known as the "World Tightrope Walking Center"⁶
5. Tightrope walking at extreme heights is known as "highwire act" or "skywalking"²

Related Pages on Mahalo

Philippe Petit | 2008 Sundance winners | Frozen River | Sundance Lineup | Sundance Film Festival | King of Ping Pong | Trouble the Water

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