"Man on Wire" Preview & Trailer – VIDEO

I’ve got this on tap for the Traverse City Film Festival next week, so I’ll wait until then to post a review. Looks like a great film, though.

It follows the adventures of Frenchman Philippe Petit, who on August 7, 1974, stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York’s twin towers, then the world’s tallest buildings. After nearly an hour of dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released.

Petit spent 6 1/2 years dreaming of the towers, then eight months in New York City planning the execution of the coup. Petit was faced with numerous challenges: he had to find a way to bypass the WTC’s security, smuggle the heavy steel cable and rigging equipment into the towers, and pass the wire between the two rooftops.

After the jump, watch a trailer and interview with James Marsh and Philippe Petit:

Directed by James Marsh, this documentary brings Petit’s adventure to life through the testimony of Philippe himself, and some of the co-conspirators who helped him create the unique spectacle that became known as “the artistic crime of the century.” Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and nudity, and drug references, it opens in theaters July 25, 2008. Official Site

Trailer:

Sundance Interview with director James Marsh and Philippe Petit:

Image: Man on Wire, Discovery Films, 2008