'The Walk' Recounts Philippe Petit on High-Wire

Faith is what replaces doubt in my dictionary.

~ Philippe Petit*

Film Poster

Based on the book To Reach the Clouds* (North Point Press, 2002; Faber & Faber Tie-In Ed., 2015), the Robert Zemeckis film The Walk (Sony Pictures) relates the true story of Philippe Petit's August 7, 1974, walk — without a net — between the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City. The wire was 120 feet long; it stretched some 1,350 feet above ground. 

Petit crossed the wire in less than 60 minutes. 

The film, shot with photorealistic techniques and in IMAX 3D, has already been released in the United States. Below is the official trailer.

Petit also is the author of Creativity: The Perfect Crime (Riverhead Books, August 2015), the e-book (Kindle) Cheating the Impossible: Ideas and Recipes from a Rebellious Artist (TED Conferences, 2012), and Man on Wire (Skyhorse Publishing, 2008). Petit released The Walk (Skyhorse Publishing), a retitled edition of To Reach the Clouds, this past September.

* Petit gave a TED Talk about his walk, "The Journey Across the High Wire", in 2012.

James Marsh's documentary about Petit, Man on Wire, received a 2009 Academy Award and other honors.

The Walk on Tumblr

The Walk on FaceBook

Philippe Petit on FaceBook

American Experience Biography of Philippe Petit

Read "'The Walk'—A Death-Defying Journey to Remember", a critical review of Zemeckis's film at The Arts Fuse, October 13, 2015; and "The Real Story Behind Philippe Petit's High-Wire Act in 'The Walk'", Curbed NY, September 30, 2015.