Backstage Interview Transcript | 81st Academy Awards
Best documentary feature
CATEGORY: Best documentary feature
INTERVIEW WITH: James Marsh and Simon Chinn
FILM: "Man on Wire"
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Q. This film has been honored all around the world culminating in tonight's Oscar. What do you think it is about tonight's Oscar that made so many connect with it?
A. James Marsh: I think it's a very beautiful fairytale that has to be true. And obviously, it's something that's about something that's illegal and subversive, and what's created is something that doesn't take anything away from anyone. It gives something to somebody. Take all those little reasons, why the film has connected so well with people. What do you think?
A. Simon Chinn: I also think I completely agree what James says. It does have this incredible context, which I suppose for kind of modern audience, post 9 11 where it never mentioned the film does provide kind of poignancy to the story that, you know, lifts it to another level.
Q. Philippe, this movie to a large degree is about your fantastic spirit. Are you inspired to do other feats now this one's been clearly so well received?
A. Yes. But I almost was going to say I don't inspiration. It's in my veins. I have to keep working and, yes, I am 60 years old. I have thousands of projects. One in New York City very soon. So, yes, I keep working.
Q. Philippe, what adventures do you plan next for us?
A. Who is the person asking me that? Well, actually, I have a secret, but if you are going to keep a secret, that will be fine. I am going to work in New York City in the fall, in a high wire walk to a library. I won't tell you which one and it will be the beginning of a series of walks for literacy around the country to inspire the kids to read.
Q. Doing a documentary?
A. I'm sorry?
Q. Doing a documentary? Do you let the story kind of overtake the facts, or do the facts overtake the story? I mean, documentary has to blend the two. How do you do that? It must be very difficult.
A. James Marsh: Basically, documentary selects, I guess, the facts tell the truth. And so, there's nothing, you know, entirely mysterious about the story. The story in a sense is the one that you discover. So, MAN ON A WIRE, right now, the film is based on one event and how a group of people got together to plan to put Philippe on that wire. So, the story itself was very clear to me; I guess because it was true.
A. Philippe Petit: And I am always seeing the ecstatic truth that my friend, Werner Herzog is always talking about.
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