Peter Brook: The Tightrope

Peter Brook is one of the world's most respected and revolutionary directors of contemporary theatre. To help his actors achieve extraordinary performances, he has a special exercise, called "the Tightrope," which evolved over decades of experimentation and practice into a process of transformation that makes theatre real and new for actor and audience alike. In this quietly eloquent and unique film, director Simon Brook -- Peter's son -- reveals how the Tightrope works its dramatic alchemy.

Filmed in total immersion with five hidden cameras, The Tightrope plunges us into the intimate aspects of Brook working with his troupe of actors and musicians. Without disturbing the truth of the moment, the film reveals the magic inherent to the creative process, taking us beyond the intimacy of a workshop and into a philosophical and soulful experience.

About Peter Brook
Born in London in 1925, Peter Brook studied at Oxford and launched himself into stage directing for the first time at age 17. During the course of his career, he has distinguished himself in a multiplicity of genres: theater, opera, cinema and writing. For the theater he has staged numerous texts by Shakespeare for the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1971 in Paris, he founded with Micheline Rozan, the International Center for Theatre Reseach (CIRT) and took over the direction of the Bouffes du Nord in 1974, where he stayed until 2010. His productions are notable for their iconoclastic aspects and their international scope. He also directs operas and has written several books. Among his most recent works are: A Magic Flute, a free adaptation of Mozart's opera for which he received the Moliere Award in 2011. Also on world tour in 2013 and 2014, a revival of The Suit. This year will also see the re-release of his 1968 anti-war film Tell Me Lies, in a new version stunningly restored by the Technicolor Foundation and the Fondation Groupama Gan.

Awards:
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play Marat/Sade, 1966
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1971
Freiherr von Stein Foundation Shakespeare Award, 1973
Grand Prix Dominique, 1975
Brigadier Prize, 1975, Timon of Athens
Society of West End Theatre Award, 1983
Emmy Award, 1984, La tragédie de Carmen
Prix Italia, 1984
International Emmy Award, 1990, The Mahabharata
Praemium Imperiale, 1997
Dan David prize, 2005
The Ibsen Award, 2008
Critics' Circle Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts 2008

Honors:
Commander of the Order of the British Empire, 1965
Honorary DLitt, University of Birmingham, 1990
Honorary Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, 1991
Honorary DLitt, University of Strathclyde, 1990
Honorary DLitt, University of Oxford, 1994
Officier de l'Ordre de la Légion d'honneur (France), 1995
Companion of Honour, 1998
Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur (France), 2013