Nothing is Impossible

The New Yorker called it "Thrilling," the New York Times "Exhilirating. I wanted to get up from my seat and get lost in Philippe Petit's poetic world in the documentary Man on Wire.

In 1974, Philippe (with a little help from a motley crew of co-conspirators) strung a cable between the Twin Towers and danced across it. It was his gift to New Yorkers on their way to work on August 7, just as it was a gift to the French when he performed his aerial ballet between the rooftops of Notre Dame, and the Australians as he skipped across the high wire off the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Of course the Americans wanted to know "Why?" And Philippe responded: "There is no why?" He thought it was a beautiful thing to do and he was right. I saw Philippe once. He came to Paul Auster's 60th Birthday party at the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel. He wore his signature black turtleneck and trousers and for a time I didn't know who he was. But when he walked up to Paul and gave him what looked like a small rock, wrapped up in newspaper and tied up with string I had to know his name.

This documentary, written and directed by James Marsh, is a must see.

Great interview with James here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRz8x3erGPg&feature=related