They didn’t come to be filmed. They came to be heard.

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In a collaborative documentary class at the Emerson College Engagement Lab, led by filmmaker and adjunct professor Bob Nesson, four Boston mothers, each of whom had lost a child to gun violence, incarceration, or both, set out to tell their story. In collaboration with We Are Better Together Warren Daniel Hairston Project (WAB2G), they created It Starts With Us, a film about loss, resilience, and rebuilding.

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Ruth Rollins founded WAB2G to support other grieving mothers after the loss of her son. “She realized she couldn’t do it alone,” Nesson said. Her shared connection with Seraphina Taylor, Stephanie Williams, and Kilra Hylton became a cornerstone of the trust in their collaboration.

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From the first few sessions, it became clear that this project would defy any easy narrative structure. The women’s stories were powerful, specific, and personal. “Each one of those women could have been the subject of a full documentary,” Nesson said. But they set out to make a film that connected all four stories. The team worked to craft a unified story that didn’t flatten any individual voice.

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“Our goal was to make a 15-minute documentary, but the first version ran over 25 minutes,” he added. “It was raw, heartfelt, but sprawling. We knew we had to refine it without losing its weight.”

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“We chose to center the film on their recovery,” Nesson said. “The process of healing emotionally, spiritually, and otherwise.” That recovery became the film’s core. “You don’t recover completely,” he added, “but support helps you move forward.”

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Translating that vision into a short documentary proved complicated. “Figuring out how to tell a collective story was the single biggest challenge,” Nesson said. Much of the early footage was recorded on phones, adding to the film’s raw and immediate feel. Students were divided into teams to shoot, interview, produce, and coordinate. “They can’t all shoot. They can’t all edit. So it was a juggling act.”

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As the semester drew to a close, the class pulled together a powerful rough cut. But it lacked clarity. “It didn’t drive home the point,” Nesson admitted. Determined to elevate the project, they brought in editor Monica Cohen, who worked with Nesson to reimagine the film’s structure and refine its emotional arc. Together, they shaped a version that honored the depth of each mother’s story while creating a unified, resonant whole.

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At the final screening, the reaction said it all. The room stood in applause. “They loved it. Absolutely,” Nesson said. “Even the earlier version the students made got a standing ovation.” 

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What began as a class project evolved into a shared space for listening, processing, and moving forward. Together, they told a story not about tragedy, but about the strength that follows. It Starts With Us continues to be shared at community events and screenings, sparking conversations about healing and change.