Tole je zgodba o sanjaču, ki ne samo da je uresničil svoje sanje, ampak je pri tem ohranil tisti del kreativnosti, ki ga povezujemo z otrokom. In tako je še danes Philippe Petit videti navdušeno in hkrati sanjavo, iz njega kipi kreativnost in ko ga pogledaš, vidiš umetnika in hkrati otroka, ki fascinira ga hoja po vrvici.
(Slovenian above | English below)
Zgodba Philippe Petita se prične v Franciji, kjer ga je kot šestletnega dečka fasciniral magičen svet, zato pričel je vaditi preproste trike s kartami. Nato so ga pritegnili žonglerji in je na ulicah kot žongler zabaval turiste, pri 16 letih pa je spoznal svojo strast glede višine ter hoje po vrvici. In medtem ko ga je svet magičnosti čisto prevzel, mu je slabo kazalo v šoli, kjer je pri 18 menjal kar pet šol, namreč iz vsake so napodili. Njegova kreativnost ga je vodila svojo pot in tako je kmalu do njega prišla informacija, ki mu je spremenila življenje. V čakalnici pri zobozdravniku je videl revijo, kjer so predstavili projekt, da bodo gradili World Trade Center v New Yorku in to so postale njegove sanje; da bi napel vrvico med dvema nebotičnikoma in se med njima sprehodil.
Par let je preučeval svoj podvig in vadil na malo nižjih zgradbah, kot so katedrala Notra Dama v Parizu, pa v Harbor bridgu v Sydneyu, a zaslovel je z New Yorkom. Konec leta 1973 je obiskal mesto, ki nikdar ne spi in preučeval zgradbo. Ob podpori prijateljev je v jutranjih urah 7. avgusta 1974 na višini več kot 400 metrov stopil na vrvico ter se sprehodil med stavbama. Ni imel nikakršne varnostne mreže ali karkoli temu primernega. 45 min je trajalo njegovo poplesavanje v zraku med stavbama, ki sta nekoč pomenili simbol tega mesta.
Zaradi pritiska policije je moral svojo predstavo zaključiti ter pri tem bil aretiran in takoj poslan na pregled v bolnišnico na psihiatričen pregled. Kmalu so ugotovili, da je z njim vse v redu, je pač poseben in drugačen. Takrat je policija proti 24 letnemu Philippe Petitu umaknila vse obtožnice in v zameno je ”moral” v Centralnem parku nastopati s svojo predstavo »hojo po vrvici« pred otroki na dokaj varni višini oz nižini.
Ko so ga številni novinarji in policisti vprašali, zakaj je tvegal svoje življenje, da je hodil po vrvici, je ta odgovoril: »Ni nobenega zakaj. Ko vidim lep prostor, kjer lahko privežem svoje vrvice, se temu ne morem upreti. Tako kot vidim tri pomaranče in moram žonglirati, tako ko vidim dve stolpnici, moram med njima hoditi.«
O njem in njegovem izjemnem podvigu je nastal z Oskarjem nagrajen dokumentarec Man On Wire, dve leti nazaj pa so posneli še film The Walk, kjer zgodbo Philippe Petita predstavi simpatičen Joseph Gordon-Levitt, ki ga je za ta film in za globje razumevanje balansa in prisotnosti, sam Philippe Petit naučil hoditi po vrvici. Celoten film, pa si lahko ogledaš na: THE WALK.
(English)
This is the story of the dreamer who not only fulfilled his dream but also maintains the part of the creativity that is associated with a child. Still today Philippe Petit looks full of life and creativity, with the soul of an artist and a child who is fascinated by walking on the wire.
Philippe Petit’s story begins in France, where he was born. By the age of 6, he discovered magic so, he started studying magic tricks. Some years later, he learned how to juggle. He took his talents to the city streets, performing for tourists. At the age of 16, Petit discovered his passion for the high wire and spent a year training on the tightrope. But in school, he didn’t get well. He has been kicked out of five schools by the age of 18. But still, his creativity led him, and soon comes the information that changed his life. He learned about the World Trade Center construction project in New York City. He read about the project’s proposed twin towers while waiting in a dentist’s office, and spent years planning to walk a high wire between the two buildings.
Before he went to New York, he took his training on several other amazing buildings, like the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and he crossed on a wire the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia. In late 1973, Petit traveled to New York City. He spent months studying the World Trade Center’s twin towers. And the morning of August 7, Petit stepped onto the tightrope, which was suspended between the two towers. A crowd of thousands soon gathered to watch the man on the wire more than 1,300 feet above them. For 45 minutes, Petit practically danced on the thin metal line.
The local police, arrested Petit and two assistants after he eventually was convinced to step off his highwire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Fearing he was insane, they took the Frenchman to Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. He was quickly determined perfectly sane and, later on, the same day, the charges laid against the 24-year-old by the New York police department were dismissed in exchange for his doing a performance in Central Park for children.
Having been arrested by New York police, and asked by the press why Petit had risked his life by walking between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, he famously answered: »There is no ‘why’. When I see a beautiful place to put my wire I cannot resist. I see three oranges and I have to juggle. I see two towers and I have to walk.«
About him and his extraordinary venture was created Oscar-winning documentary Man On Wire, two years ago they shot the film The Walk, where the story of Philippe Petit presents cute Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was for this film and for a deeper understanding of the balance and presence taught to walk on the wire by Philippe Petit. You can see the entire film here: THE WALK.
Dokumentarec Man on Wire
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Almira Ćatović 