15
tranquillity that’s somehow calming
and completely inspiring in its own
“When you look at this story – and
special way.
“Lying down is very painful.
I did very carefully – there are so
Obviously, your whole body is pressing
many reasons why they shouldn’t
on a little thread… and because the
whole balance is inversed. You have
have got away with it,” he explained
almost no balance.
“But all that is not important for me.
I had practised that intensely for weeks
and weeks and years. I lay down on the
wire between the towers of Notre Dame
[in Paris], and then between the pylons
of Sydney Harbour Bridge [in Australia].”
I am so in awe of this slight, but
electrically energetic man at this point
that I am sure it must have shown on
my face. Graciously, Petit continued to
share his story.
“So, then it was obvious I was going
to do it several times between the towers
of the World Trade Center. I like that
figure in the sky because I think it must
inspire people… you’re not only walking
but also falling asleep. What an image!”
While interviewing Petit, it occurred
to me that the line between insanity
and genius has never been so blurred.
When performing his art, he is - literally -
millimetres from death and an altogether
different perception of his craft.
But that’s part of what makes him so
fascinating. And Man on Wire director
James Marsh concurs. He describes
Petit as “the hero of his own fairytale”.
“When you look at this story – and
I did very carefully – there are so many
reasons why they shouldn’t have got
away with it,” he explained. “Just in
terms of this criminal enterprise, there
were so many times when they should
have been caught and the game was up
– not least when they were on the roof of
the World Trade Center.
“And then there’s the miracle of
what he’s actually doing as well, which
is to essentially defy the laws of gravity,
nature and the weather to do this
performance. To me, he is pretty heroic.”
For Petit, however, the notion of
heroism doesn’t apply. He is, first and
foremost, an artist and a performer, and
avantoure
|
jackpot
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