Though she had vowed never to make another documentary, Sandra Jaffe had an idea that wouldn’t leave her alone: a film about “To Kill A Mockingbird,” the beloved, controversial, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that explored the depths of racism through the eyes of a young narrator.

But Jaffe, who lives in Watertown, wondered how the message of the book would hold up nearly a half-century since its publication and a thousand miles from its setting. So she went to a Boston school and listened as students read and talked about the book. Then she asked whether they felt a connection with any of the characters.