Film Screening 29th April, 2009

Poster for Man on Wire

Man on Wire 

8:00 PM, 29th April, 2009

  • PG
  • 94 mins
  • 2008
  • James Marsh
  • James Marsh
  • Philippe Petit, Annie Allix, Jean-Louis Blondeau, David Forman, Barry Greenhouse

Like me you've read questionnaires where people are asked which famous people they would invite to a small dinner party. Do you ask Mick Jagger, Aung San Suu Kyi, Tiger Woods or Julia Gillard? If I get the chance I will ask Philippe Petit. Come to this film and see why.

Philippe is a French funambule, a tightrope walker. This documentary film is about his team's planning and executing a number of amazing walks at Notre Dame, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and, most famously, the Twin Towers in New York in 1974 ((ndash)) "the artistic crime of the century".

This doesn't sound too gripping but one reviewer has written "a beautiful film, fascinating characters, sublime acts".

It must work, the critics love it and it has won 12 awards (including both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury prize at last year's Sundance Festival) and is nominated for more in 2009. The director has managed to present something "brilliant, audacious, stunning and enthralling". Will it be worthy of all those adjectives? Come along and see for yourselves.

Brett Yeats