Man on Wire. 2008. Great Britain/USA. Directed by James Marsh. 35mm. In French; English subtitles. 94 min.
In a kind of heist without malicious intent, artist Philippe Petit balanced on a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center—and was arrested for his efforts. Winner of the Jury Prize at Sundance, James Marsh’s documentary vividly reconstructs the events leading up to Petit’s 1974 feat, as well as its aftermath, through archival footage, reenactments, and interviews with those involved. Made in close collaboration with Petit himself, Man on Wire provided another vision of the World Trade Center after the trauma-centered narratives surrounding 9/11, an opening for beauty to begin to slip back in around the hard edge of remembrance.