The first scene of Gary and Mark Lawrence’s documentary is powerful: Morning light hits One World Trade Center, half constructed, as an American flag waves in the foreground. Retired New York City Firefighter Dan Rowan then speaks about what he saw on Sept. 11, 2001.

“You would think there was so much chaos and confusion, there really wasn’t,” he says. “Things were just happening and happening…My mission is to get back to New York City. I’m really doing this for the brothers I lost.”

The scene kicks off “The Brotherhood Ride,” the first documentary shot by the Rochester natives.

The 71-minute film follows 37 bicycle riders over 22 days and 1,700 miles. It shows the grit, humor and compassion of the riders as they pedaled from Florida to New York City on the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 to honor first responders who died in the attacks.

The film shares the name of the fundraiser it documents. Former Rochester resident Jeff Morse founded the ride in 2007 after tragedy struck Charleston, S.C.

That year, nine firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty on the same day.

Morse, a firefighter, founded the organization to honor them. Now a nonprofit charity, the ride honors the memory and sacrifice of fallen first responders.

Each year, the riders travel to the hometown of a police officer, firefighter, or paramedic who died in the line of duty. They raise money for the families. They remind the families their loved ones aren’t forgotten.

“By riding and showing that emotional support that can be big, if not bigger than the money,” Gary said. “People who lose someone sometimes never get over it.”

Since 2007, the group has supported more than 400 first responders and raised more than $100,000 for families.

A friend of the Lawrences’, Jeff asked Gary and Mark to film the ride during a visit in 2010. Gary had just left Full Sail University in Florida where he studied film and was looking for work in the field.

Filmed in 2011, the brothers went to Florida armed with three cameras, one light and some duct tape.

“We had to work with what we had and we didn’t have much,” Gary said. “Everything we did was guerilla filmmaking.”

Each day the brothers taped a camera to the lead car for footage. At other times, the camera was placed on a rider’s helmet. The brothers interviewed riders who reflected on why they participate. Candid footage shows riders resting, remembering past rides and preparing for the next day.

Though young (Gary was 20 years old then) he had experience.

His interest in film was sparked in sixth grade after his brother, then in eighth grade, shot a video for a school project. It depicted a fake weather report and left an impression.

“I remember watching it and thinking, ‘Wow, that’s cool.’ It was very funny,” Gary remembered. Inspired, he pur--chased video editing software and began to work on his own projects. During that time, he  filmed municipal meetings in Rochester and Marion for Old Rochester Community Television. In high school, he took classes in video journalism and worked in the school’s audiovisual department.

With those experiences under his belt he filmed “The Brotherhood Ride,” which is a self-assured debut. The movie screened for a few days at Wareham’s Flagship Cinemas and for a couple days in a Florida theater in September 2012.

Looking back, he’s proud of the film, but as any good auteur will say – it could have been better. “I’m kind of a perfectionist,” he said.

“The Brotherhood Ride” will air on ORCTV at 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays and 1 p.m. on Mondays for the next few weeks. Comcast customers can find ORCTV on channel 9; channel 36 for Verizon customers.