BARYSHNIKOV ARTS CENTER LAUNCHES BAC FLICKS,
A FILM SERIES PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
PARIS'S LA CINÉMATHÈQUE DE LA DANSE

First Film in Series to Feature Oscar-Nominated Man on Wire Followed by Q&A with Philippe Petit

New York, NY- The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) is pleased to announce the launch of BAC Flicks, a new series presented in partnership with La Cinémathèque de la Danse. BAC Flicks will combine film and conversation with special guest artists. The first presentation this season will feature the Oscar-nominated documentary Man on Wire on Friday, February 13 at 7PM, followed by a Q&A with Philippe Petit. The screening will take place at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, 450 W. 37th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, and will be followed by a reception hosted by Les Trois Petits Cochons. A donation of $20 per ticket is suggested to help support artistic programs at BAC.

BAC Flicks, a film series comprising four presentations each season, will feature culturally significant films and rare cinematic treasures from the archives of the La Cinémathèque de la Danse that may not otherwise have the opportunity to be seen in the United States. A talk with the director or subject of the film will be included as part of each presentation.

Philippe Petit, universal poet laureate of the high wire, was born in France. On August 7, 1974, Petit walked a high wire illegally stretched between the rooftops of the Twin Towers of the World Center, making eight crossings over the course of an hour, a quarter mile above the sidewalks of New York. His book, To Reach the Clouds, which recounts Philippe's WTC adventure, is the subject of the award-winning documentary film, Man On Wire, and a feature film with a tentative release date of 2012. To Reach the Clouds, re-titled as Man On Wire, was recently released in paperback. Petit has performed on the high wire more than 80 times around the globe, crowning with his wire such architectural monuments as Notre Dame Cathedral and the Sydney Harbour Bridge and creating unique artworks for such momentous events as the French Bicentennial at the Eiffel Tower witnessed by 250,000 spectators, and the 1200th anniversary celebration of the city of Frankfurt before an audience of 500,000. He has done more than a dozen walks in New York City, where he has been an Artist-In-Residence at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine since 1982. Philippe was presented with the prestigious James Parks Morton Interfaith Award, is the recipient of the New York Historical Society Award, and was recently made Chevalier des Arts & des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.

An independent association since 2005, La Cinémathèque de la Danse is now 26 years old. It regularly presents its programs at the Cinémathèque française, now located in the rue de Bercy. More than 500 films and 5,000 videos make up its collections; more than 3,000 missions and events have been organized in France and abroad; and 50 or so full-length films have been presented with panache at the Palais Garnier-Opéra National de Paris and at the Théâtre de Châtelet. La Cinémathèque de la Danse is devoted to images of every style and form of dance - be it classical or modern, learned or popular, related to western orchestral music or Egyptian music, based on Kabuki, Samba, hip-hop, or flamenco. La Cinémathèque de la Danse also houses Jean Rouch's priceless ethnographical accounts and the jazz films that make up the Jo Milgram collection.

The Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC) opened its doors in New York City's Hell's Kitchen in November 2005. BAC serves as a creative laboratory, meeting place, and performance space for a vibrant community of artists from around the world. BAC is also dedicated to building audiences for the arts by presenting contemporary, innovative work at low or no cost to ticket buyers. The organization recently purchased a 299-seat theater in the performing arts complex; the facility will undergo renovation in 2009 to be transformed into the state of the art Jerome Robbins Theater. Scheduled to open in 2010, the theater will serve as an organic extension of the existing center, featuring multi-disciplinary work, emerging talent, and international artists, and including artist-centered activity that fosters creative exploration. For more information, please visit www.bacnyc.org.

Program Information

February 13, 2009 at 7PM
Man on Wire (2008)
Directed by: James Marsh
Running time: 94 minutes
Followed by a Q&A with Philippe Petit
Reception hosted by Les Trois Petits Cochons

Next installment in the BAC Flicks series:

April 9, 10, and 11, 2009 at 7PM
Lucinda (1978)
Directed by Cynthia Hampton
Including a discussion with Lucinda Childs

Ticket Information: Reservations are required. Suggested donation: $20. To make a reservation, please call 646-731-3218.

Baryshnikov Arts Center, Howard Gilman Performance Space, 450 W. 37th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018. For more information visit: www.bacnyc.org