Discover
On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released.
Following six and a half years of dreaming of the towers, Petit spent eight months in New York City planning the execution of the coup. Aided by a team of friends and accomplices, Petit was faced with numerous extraordinary challenges: he had to find a way to bypass the WTC's 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. The rigging was done by night in complete secrecy. At 7:15 AM, Philippe took his first step on the high wire 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan.
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 him create the unique and magnificent spectacle that became known as the artistic crime of the century.
Original Release
08/01/2008
US Release
08/29/2008
Links
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Philippe Petit | Himself / Self |
Jean François Heckel | Himself / Self |
Jean-Louis Blondeau | Himself / Self |
Annie Allix | Herself / Self |
David Forman | Self / Himself |
Alan Welner | Himself / Self |
Mark Lewis | Self / Himself |
Barry Greenhouse | Himself / Self |
Guy F. Tozzoli | Self |
Paul McGill | Philippe - Drama Reconstructions |
Directors
Writers
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Philippe Petit | Himself / Self |
Jean François Heckel | Himself / Self |
Jean-Louis Blondeau | Himself / Self |
Annie Allix | Herself / Self |
David Forman | Self / Himself |
Alan Welner | Himself / Self |
Mark Lewis | Self / Himself |
Barry Greenhouse | Himself / Self |
Guy F. Tozzoli | Self |
Paul McGill | Philippe - Drama Reconstructions |
David Demato | Jean-Louis - Drama Reconstructions |
Ardis Campbell | Annie - Drama Reconstructions |
Aaron Haskell | Jean-François - Drama Reconstructions |
Shawn Dempewolff-Barrett | David - Drama Reconstructions |
David Roland Frank | Alan - Drama Reconstructions |
Megan Delay | The Admirer - Drama Reconstructions |
Laurence Gates | Dentist |
Robert Hager | Reporter on the Sidewalk |
Bruce Kocher | Security Guard on First Tower |
Joel Ney | 1970s Police Officer #1 |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Nick Fraser | Executive Producer |
Alex Graham | Executive Producer |
Jonathan Hewes | Executive Producer |
Andrea Meditch | Executive Producer |
Simon Chinn | Producer |
Liz Fay | Producer |
Victoria Gregory | Producer |
Richard Klein | Producer |
Maureen A. Ryan | Producer |
Isabella Marchese Ragona | Producer |
Editors
Trailers
Year | Type | Category | Won |
---|
2009 | Oscar | Best Documentary, Features | Won |