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Man on Wire

United States, United Kingdom

2008

94 Min
Color
1.85:1
French, English
  • Currently 4.0/5 Stars.
  • 1
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DIR James Marsh

EXEC Nick Fraser, Jonathan Hewes, Andrea Meditch

PROD Simon Chinn

SCR Philippe Petit

DP Igor Martinović

CAST Philippe Petit, Annie Allix, Paul McGill, David Roland Frank

ED Jinx Godfrey

MUSIC Michael Nyman, J. Ralph

Sundance (World Cinema Documentary Competition): Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, Karlovy Vary (Documentary Competition): Best Documentary, Tribeca (Spotlight), Edinburgh (British Gala)

Synopsis

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. —IMDb

Director

Original

James Marsh

James Marsh is a director of both documentary and narrative feature films. His most recent dramatic film, Red Riding: 1980, was released by the IFC in 2010. Marsh’s documentary Man on Wire premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Jury Prize and the Audience Award, and garnered the Academy Award for best documentary the following year. Marsh’s earlier work includes the feature film The King (Un Certain Regard, 2005 Cannes International Film Festival) and the documentary hybrid Wisconsin Death Trip. –Sundance 

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Displaying 4 of 42 wall posts.
Picture of Cesar Vega R.

Cesar Vega R.

25Nov12

Pura inspiración. Clásico.

Picture of lasttimeisaw

lasttimeisaw

15Aug12

a 7/10, my review: http://lasttimeisawdotcom.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/last-film-i-saw-man-on-wire/

Picture of Theo Christodoulidis

Theo Christodoulidis

21Jun12

I watched this beautifully inspiring documentary a while back and my life's never been the same. I can't say it has changed my life physically. I'm still pretty lazy. But on a mental level, I have never been so enlightened. If you have the time, please check out this really great article on the film! http://www.unsungfilms.com/3271/man-on-wire/#

Picture of Kirby

Kirby

8Feb12

An inspiring and amazing documentary about an inspiring and amazing man. My only disappointment with the film is that the only footage of the moment everyone waited for were a handful of still images. It can't be helped, but the film is still amazing.

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Fans

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Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.

MAN ON WIRE- Magnolia Home Entertainment

By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Man on Wire won the Academy Award for best doc this year and I have a hard time arguing with that. It manages to take what may be the most foolhardy guerilla art action of the seventies and reveals……
read on Twitchfilm.com

MAN ON WIRE- Magnolia Home Entertainment

By Twitchfilm.net on July 17, 2010
Man on Wire won the Academy Award for best doc this year and I have a hard time arguing with that. It manages to take what may be the most foolhardy guerilla art action of the seventies and reveals…
read on Twitchfilm.net

Lists

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Reviews

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[Last Film I Saw] Man on Wire

By lasttim​eisaw on August 15, 2012

Title: Man on Wire
Year: 2008
Country: UK, USA
Language: English, French
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Director:
James Marsh
Writer:
Philippe Petit
Cast:
  read review

Film review: Man on Wire

By Miasma on December 27, 2010

Man on Wire

Grade: B
Cast: Philippe Petit
Director: James Marsh
Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and nudity, and drug references.
Runtime: 94 min
Release Company…  read review

count me in Aguirre !!!

By KALTEN KRIEG on June 30, 2010

Really wonderfull documentary and re-enactment in many ways. Considering that the world press&media presents daily world& current events that are at least dis-enchanting and are presented…  read review

Exercising Rebellion

By Mugino on December 31, 2009

There are people who love professional mimes, jugglers and contortionists. I am not one of them. People like me don’t really understand why anyone would want to turn miming into a profession, aside…  read review

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