Lynda Simmons lost two children: one to murder and one to suicide. In the aftermath of those losses, she finds her voice as an artist and an advocate. The film is an observation of her creative process and a depiction of her quest for forgiveness. The bond that forges between her and the man that killed her son contains an inspirational message about healing.

I met Lynda through volunteer work we each do with restorative justice. The restorative justice process seeks a just and restorative response to harm that is committed. The process brings together the communities of people who have been harmed with those who committed harm to help facilitate healing, taking a community-based approach centered on accountability and respect. We both are trained as facilitators to help mediate cases. As part of a training, Lynda shared some of her story. She was an inspiring woman with an unforgettable story that needed to be told.

Over the past two years, I’ve spent hundreds of hours with Lynda and her family in Sparta, North Carolina. We have become close friends and have been working together to show her story. We are at a pivotal moment in the film’s journey and need support from the community.

Lynda is the pilot presentation of a limited series of 60-minute portraits of extraordinary human resilience.
All contributions are tax deductible when made through our fiscal sponsor, the Southern Documentary Fund.

-David Delaney Mayer, director LYNDA

What is the current status of the project?

We are in the middle of production. We have filmed around 25 hours of media, and plan to organize a number of shoots over the next year. Our plan is to continue production through the end of 2025. Post production has already started. We are targeting a rough cut by year end 2026.