SAN ANTONIO –
David Molak took his life in January after his family says he was the victim of cyberbullying. Now, his story is being told in an honest, unique, more intimate way by peers who went to school with him. They are competing in a nationwide anti-cyberbullying film contest and the documentary is a prize contender.
As the film opens, Maurine Molak's voice plays behind images of her young son, smiling and laughing. The video was pulled from old camera footage that had captured family vacations and home videos. The edited piece is a 4 1/2-minute documentary put together by teenagers, not much older than David.
"One of my best friends was cyberbullied, so when somebody in my hometown commits suicide because of cyberbullying, it was just like shocking," Saint Mary's Hall senior Tori Hartson said.
The prompt for the AT&T Film Invitational was to create a documentary about cyberbullying and risky online behavior in the students' hometowns.
"The first person we thought of was David Molak," Saint Mary's Hall senior Demar Gunter said.
Hartson and Gunter directed the film, which delved into how bullying and suicide affected the Molaks.
"He became withdrawn. He was depressed, didn't want to go to school, was afraid to go to school, slept a lot and became angry," Maurine Molak told the girls in a candid interview.
"He just seemed to be a shell of himself. Before, he was just a happy and joyful person. Then he seemed more anxious and reserved. He just wasn't the same," his father Matt Molak was heard saying, as more images of David played over the interview.
"We knew the story, but it was really impactful to hear them tell it and hear what it had done to them personally and done to them as a family," Hartson said.
Maurine Molak said the interview with the students was the hardest she'd done yet.
"It was tough. There were a couple of moments where I didn't think we were going to get through it," she said.
In the end, however, she believed it was the most important thing to do.
"We believe that it starts with the kids, and they're the ones that have to make a difference," Maurine Molak said.
Through the lens of their camera Maurine Molak said the Saint Mary's Hall teens are showing the empathy and compassion bullies lack when they hide behind the screens of their phones and computers.
"I believe this film could make a huge change. I believe we have to teach empathy in our kids and for them to be able to see a film like this and understand what the face of the aftermath of suicide is, maybe they'll think twice about posting something mean," Maurine Molak said.
Though rehashing what happened to her son is painful, she intends to keep pushing if it means saving or changing the lives of other children around the nation and the world.
"I think the schools have done a great job teaching kids what it is to bully, but I don't think we've done a very good job about teaching them what to do if you're on the other end of it. There is an emotional part of this that I think we're still trying to understand because this is so new. It's not your old schoolyard bullying. It is shared with hundreds and thousands of people and kids are feeling completely devastated and isolated and unloved," she said.
Hartson, Gunter and the eight other students working on their film team feel strongly about being a part of that awareness campaign.
"Spreading that message of being kind and standing up for yourself, and standing up for the people around you, is something we want everybody to know and do," Hartson said.
The students are now in New York City, filming and editing one last cyberbullying documentary. They're competing against 28 teams from schools across the country. The winner will be announced Sunday, and the Saint Mary's Hall team is hoping to win for David. The winners take home money for their school and the chance for their documentary to be included in an anti-bullying campaign.
To watch the entire documentary, click here.
For more information on the fight to end cyberbullying, visit the foundation the Molaks have set up in David's memory, called David's Legacy.