Athlone audiences are in for a treat! Athlone Film club is proud to present the astonishing and profound 2008 documentary film, Man on Wire directed by James Marsh.
Too electric and thrilling to be called a mere documentary, the film chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Centre. The film is crafted like a heist film, presenting rare footage of the preparations for the events and still photographs of the walk, alongside re-enactments and modern day-interviews with the participants. The results an adventure tale that astonishes in every respect.
The heist is actually Petit's team tensely prepping to stealthily enter the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974, with doubts held by the crew's French members about some of the seemingly shady Yanks in their circle. The film is structured in a movie-within-a-movie fashion, with the action of that day hurtling forward in segments, as Petit's background and previous high-wire stunts is told chronologically.
Impressive from an archival standpoint is the electrifying yet pastoral color footage of Petit training for the Twin Tower walk with partner Annie Allix (who put aside her own dreams to support Petit's ), longtime friend Jean-Louis Blondeau and Jean-Francois Heckel.
Marsh brilliantly matches his images to the hypnotic music of English minimalist composer Michael Nyman, including pieces from Nyman's masterpiece, "La traversee de Paris," and his collaborations with Peter Greenaway. It's a sublime choice that lifts Man on Wire to rare movie-watching giddiness.
Petit's final walk is stunning enough, but the aftermath is unexpectedly emotional and overwhelming as human drama.
This riveting film captured critics and audiences hearts around the world. It was on many critics best films of 2008. It won three awards at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival including the Grand Jury Prize, World Cinema Documentary and the World Cinema Audience Award. In February 2009 it won the BAFTA for Outstanding British Film. It also won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary.
So don't miss this unique opportunity to experience the thrill, passion and joy of Man on Wire in the Dean Crowe Theatre, Tuesday April 21 2009. Screening commences at 8pm and there will be a pre-screening complimentary wine reception in the bar at 7.30pm. Members are free and temporary membership for the night is only €7.
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