On a Tightrope

Norway/Canada 2006 / 70min.
Director Petr Lom / Producer Torstein Grude

As children we are free to dream big, while the whole world idly waits at our fingertips. Some of us will become famous singers, musicians, or record breakers. Some of us will heal the sick; but only a few of us will walk a tightrope in the clouds.

For the children of the Xinjiang Province in China, the fate of childhood dreams is dictated by forces of country, obligation, and sheer survival. The province is among the worst perpetrators of human rights, as Muslim Uyghurs are systematically oppressed. At least 10,000 have been imprisoned, suspected of separatism and hundreds have been executed.

Within this confining context, director Petr Lom achieved the impossible. With official permission, over 18 months, he filmed an intimate story of everyday life, a rare and moving slice of contemporary life in one of the world’s most remote places. In a tender, touching account, four orphaned children attempt to learn Dawaz, the ancient Uyghur tradition of tightrope walking, as part of their training to earn their own living when they leave the orphanage.

Like a good novel, On a Tightrope overflows with dramatic characters. There is the demanding, heartless instructor, who crushes their self-esteem. As if from nowhere, a loving former tightrope walker appears and enjoys success with the children.

Throughout the ups and downs, the children persevere, struggling to survive in a world with little sympathy for their plight. For most of these children, the hope of someday becoming a world renowned tightrope performer will never be fulfilled, but for others this ultimate test of bravery and determination will prove to be their saving grace.

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