Monday, September 1, 2008

On Having a Dream

I have immense admiration for people who have A Dream and who then do something to make it come true. Even when they are not successful, I admire them for trying anyway. This is a man who had A Dream - a Weird and Wacky & Wonderful Dream - which started in 1968 in a dentist's waitingroom, and he made it come true in August 1974.

The Start of the Dream - an article in a French newspaper about the proposed building of the Twin Towers (incorrectly labelled the Trade World Centre in the French paper).
And 6 years later, Philippe Petit walked & danced for a glorious hour in the sky above New York ...






Images above all from To Reach The Clouds (Philippe Petit) a 2nd-hand book I picked up at a charity book sale the day after I read the movie review of Man on Wire in the NYT - how is that for synchronicity!

What I find even more fantastic is that the planning & execution of this feat happened secretly (and illegally!) with the help of only a few friends. The Ultimate Guerilla Performance Art! (Now I'm looking for two high buildings in Cape Town. Oh, and I have to take some tightrope walking classes ...)
Read review of the documentary 'Man on Wire' here. (Image above from the movie).

4 comments:

kendalee said...

I look forward to seeing your version of the hire-wire dream made real! You go girl!! But please wear a harness - at least 'til you've got your tightrope diploma. Or maybe it doesn't work if you attach safety equipment to dreams?

evencleveland said...

I can't wait to see this ... it's just amazing.

Bronwyn said...

OMG! Not in a million years would I dare something like that, even the thought makes me queasy. What an incredible and crazy feat. Wow!!!

Anairam said...

kendalee - What?? Harness, me? Hahaha!!!
stephanie - Oh, I do hope they release it in SA, sometimes I really think we get the dregs of what the world of movies has to offer us. But it is sure to come out in DVD?
bronwyn - I know what you mean! I just do not know how somebody like that thinks!