On August 7th 1974, French tightrope walker Philippe Petit stepped out on a high wire, illegally rigged between New York's World Trade Center twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour of performing on the wire, 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan, he was arrested. This fun and spellbinding documentary chronicles Philippe Petit's "highest" achievement.
Direction
Marsh builds tension like a thriller — you forget it's a documentary.
Editing
Seamless weaving of archival footage and staged recreations.
Production
The heist-planning sequences rival Ocean's Eleven.
Director
James Marsh
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Philippe kept the original wire and balancing pole; he still performs occasionally in his seventies.
Released seven years after 9/11, the film deliberately never mentions the towers' fate — yet their absence haunts every frame.
GB
