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TOP OF THE WORLD
2026〡USA〡40 MINS〡ENGLISH
SYNOPSIS
Top of the World tells the story of Windows on the World, the restaurant atop the World Trade Center, which became a symbol of New York City's New York City's resurgence in the 1970s and one of the most celebrated restaurants in America. Its story came to an end on September 11, 2001, when the terrorist attacks killed all 79 Windows restaurant employees working that day, along with 91 guests.
Drawing on the voices of Windows employees, the film captures the restaurant's glamour and spectacle and highlights the immigrants from around the globe who were the heart and soul of Windows. The film is anchored by firsthand accounts from Michael Lomonaco, the Executive Chef and Director; Kevin Zraly, the restaurant’s Cellar Master; Sekou Siby, who arrived from Côte d’Ivoire as a prep cook and built a path to citizenship; and Nathalie Tolentino, a hostess who became a link for grieving families. The film also includes Ruth Reichl, acclaimed food writer and editor and Carol Jenkins, former WNBC New York reporter and anchor. Interwoven throughout are the words of visionary restaurateur Joe Baum.
It’s a portrait of the restaurant atop the Twin Towers as a celebration of a bygone era and the individuals whose pursuit of perfection created magic in the sky.
TRAILER
CREDITS
PRESENTED BY: CNN Films and TIME Studios
PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH: Montalto Pictures, Tribeca Studios, and Storyville Films
DIRECTORS & EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Julie Cohen and Betsy West
PRODUCERS: Ryan Biegel, Vicky Liu, and Holly Siegel
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Amy Entelis, Roxanna Sherwood, Ben Bitonti, Loren Hammonds, Katie Lee Biegel, Jane Rosenthal, Berry Welsh, Kerianne Flynn, Regina K Scully, Oren Jacoby
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Keelin Ryan, Margaret Munzer Loeb, Jonathan Tisch, Lizzie Tisch, Caryn Seidman Becker, Todd Snyder
CO-PRODUCER: Ben Leventhal
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Claudia Raschke
EDITOR: Ilya Chaiken
PRESS
"A nostalgic and emotional documentary recounting the restaurant’s rise, fall, and enduring afterlife in American history. "
- Food & Wine
"[shines] a light on the untold story of Windows on the World, the legendary restaurant that sat atop the World Trade Center where the staff built an extraordinary sort of family."
- Today
"Make no mistake, this isn’t just a historical look at the restaurant that stood tall for 25 years or the 79 employees who lost their lives during the attacks. It’s a story about spirit, grit and triumph through tragedy, 25 years after the restaurant was destroyed."
- People
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