New Documentary Honors Windows on the World Staff Lost in 9/11 Tragedy
The film "Top of the World" recounts the story of the World Trade Center’s former restaurant and its employees, many of whom perished on September 11, 2001.
A new documentary titled "Top of the World" debuted on one outlet, focusing on the iconic Windows on the World restaurant that once occupied the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West, together with former line cook Sekou Siby, guide viewers through the establishment’s 25-year history and the tragic loss of its staff and diners during the September 11 attacks. Siby, who arrived in the United States from the Ivory Coast in 1996, avoided the disaster after a colleague asked him to change shifts, a decision that saved his life.
In the aftermath, he became a leading figure in the Restaurant Opportunities Center, an organization created by former employees to support one another. The film seeks to celebrate the immigrant workforce that defined the restaurant and to ensure that the personal stories behind the tragedy are not forgotten.
Why it matters
The documentary preserves the memory of lost workers and underscores immigrant contributions to New York's cultural fabric.
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