Philippe Petit - Man On A Wire

[Gina]

August 7, 1974, the historic day Philippe Petit wire walked between the World Trade Center buildings and proceeded to entertain New York City for the next forty minutes.

That's only part of it. 

Link to full-length documentary (if you're interested):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVjUSIBXh9k

Enjoy.

[Duane]

That was totally amazing!  And to think of how they treated him --after doing something so spectacular!  Uggg! 

[Gina]

Yeah, Duane, it's a wild doco.  But I watched it again for the second time last night and now it looks to me like there's just a little too much acting going on.  I don't doubt everything those people did, but something about it all just doesn't quite gel.  But I don't know.  What fascinated me most is how they got in the WTC over and over again without ever getting caught.  That Philippe Petit is a flipping genius, on another level, but genius nonetheless.

[Duane]

Gina---I, too, wondered HOW they got all the supplies up there and strung the heavy cable w/o attracting media/cop  attention.
Anyway, can you imagine what the bottom of his feet must look like?  Walking with all your weight onn a steel cable would cause the arches of your feet to burn/ache/callous?  SOMETHING!
I know when I took Karate for several years in my bare feet that very thick callouses formed and once when the callouses could no longer get thicker, they "broke" in a 1/4 inch sheet of solid skin and I was really "hurting" for a couple days!  I can't imagine HIS FEET!

Also, it seems that the WIND at that height would have blown him off the wire! 

[acomplishedartis]

They might be exaggerating some details of what happened, but I do believe he did it and that they made a very entertaining video. I think it shows how much planing and determination big projects can take.

''It is based on Philippe Petit's book, To Reach the Clouds, recently released in paperback with the new title Man on Wire. The title of the movie is taken from the police report that led to the arrest (and later release) of Petit, whose performance had lasted for almost one hour.'' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_on_Wire  and here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7498364.stm

The film was like  half documentary, half movie.

[Gina]

Now it makes sense.   Thanks, Moises.