Raise the Roof, a film about the reconstruction of an 18th century, Polish wooden synagogue.

Raise the Roof, a film about the reconstruction of an 18th century, Polish wooden synagogue by Trillium Studios and John Rubin Productions. From the moment that Rick and Laura Brown learned about the magnificent wooden synagogues of eighteenth-century Poland, the two professors of Fine Arts were hooked. The last surviving structures were destroyed by the Nazis, leaving the Browns with mysteries to solve as they set out to reconstruct one. How were the timbers cut and framed? What was the meaning of the brilliantly colored animal iconography? What was the life of Jews like in Poland during this era of surprising optimism, wealth and creativity? The film follows the Browns and their diverse team of over 300 students, faculty and professionals from 16 countries on an emotional journey across Poland over three summers, grappling not just with the echoes of World War II but also with historically correct tools, tricky paints, and warping timbers. By the end of project, the Browns have done more than reconstruct an object, they have recovered a lost world. Installed in the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, the Brown’s replica will go on public display in October 2014.