492. THE TWIN TOWERS ON FILM: MAN ON WIRE

The man of the title is highwire artist Philippe Petit, and the wire was secretly strung between the newly built North and South Towers of the World Trade Center for him to walk, dance, kneel, and lie on it 1,312 feet above the New York pavement for 45 minutes on the morning of August 7, 1974, in a wholly unauthorized feat that came to be known as the artistic crime of the century -- one that helped to humanize the Towers for New Yorkers who felt that they were ugly and overpowering. All charges were dropped against Petit, and the Port Authority gifted him a lifetime pass to the Observation Deck. James Marsh's fast-moving, upbeat, Oscar-winning 2008 documentary has the feeling of a great heist movie, with Petit as the featured chronicler. After September 11, Petit offered to walk the Towers again if they were ever rebuilt.

1-3:30 p.m.                                                                                                       1 Session

Thursday, September 11                                                                                  Fee:  $40

ABOUT THE LECTURER

Peter Josyph is an actor, a painter, a photographer, an award-winning filmmaker, and he has published 13 books.