Documentary Storytelling, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 22

James Marsh

James Marsh is the director of Man on Wire, which won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Documentary. Based on the book, To Reach the Clouds, by Philippe Petit, the film tells the story of how Petit, at the age of 24, conspired with a group of friends and strangers over a period of eight months to plan and carry out an illegal and astonishing high-wire performance: On August 7, 1974, Petit spent nearly an hour walking, dancing, kneeling, and even reclining on a wire that connected the north and south towers of New York's World Trade Center, 1,350 feet—nearly a quarter of a mile—above the ground.

Marsh's other documentary credits as director include Troubleman, a look at the last years and death of singer Marvin Gaye; The ...