Throughout their time filming, Dickson and Tzec discovered that the lowrider club’s mission has as much to do with honoring family and community, giving back through service, and celebrating culture as with the craftsmanship and hands-on skills involved in building cars and bikes from scratch.
By telling their story, the filmmakers hope to reframe how the broader public sees lowrider culture. “There’s something about pursuing something you’re passionate about, putting hard work and time into it, that I think everyone can relate to,” Dickson says.
Getting in Gear
Like any filmmaking endeavor, Roll Modelz wasn’t the work of two people. Dickson and Tzec were quick to credit Isaac Vale ’27 for his help with sound, Nina McCormick ’27 and Agustin Ramirez ’25 with production assistance, and their producer Dasha Levin, an award-winning filmmaker and Chaplain University graduate.
They also acknowledge how instrumental Whitman was in equipping them for this journey—both with access to filmmaking equipment and technical training. “This level of support is something I likely wouldn’t have experienced if I had not gone to Whitman,” Dickson says.
“I think that through Whitman, I’ve grown a lot. I’ve learned a lot about the scary step of committing to your own idea. Whether that’s through film or my Psychology classes or playing soccer, a lot of my experiences have led to me feeling comfortable and confident enough to say, ‘I can do this.’”
