‘Roll Modelz’: Whittie Filmmakers Flip the Script on Lowriders & Chicano Culture

In their documentary “Roll Modelz,” Film and Media Studies majors Oliver Rodriguez Dickson ’25 and Yahir Tzec-Carrasco ’25 set out to challenge the stereotypes of an often misunderstood cultural movement: lowriding.

Lowriders—customized cars modified so that their bodies are low to the ground—began to gain popularity in the mid-20th century in the Mexican American community. But, as the two recent Whitman College graduates discovered, lowriding is about much more than the hands-on skills it takes to build a custom ride. Frame by frame, their film uncovers the richness and complexity of a small-town lowrider community that emphasizes craftsmanship, family, friendship, service and a proud celebration of Chicano culture.

Start Your Engines

In the fall of 2024, Tzec attended the Wheelin’ Walla Walla Car Show—and was surprised by what he found: a lowrider club based in Walla Walla.

The Washington State Lowriders Car Club was founded in 2021 by Jason Pastor O’Neel, a lifelong lowrider enthusiast and Walla Walla native, along with his cousin, Cris Avila, in memory of Avila’s daughter, Mya. Most club members are based in the Walla Walla Valley, with some as far away as Ephrata and Moses Lake.

“I wanted to know what their story was, because usually lowriders are associated with California, Chicago, these bigger cities,” recalls Tzec, who hails from Portland, Oregon.

The encounter struck a chord with Tzec’s own Mexican American heritage and sparked his curiosity. “I knew that I wanted to make a documentary about them,” he says.

To help bring the project to life, he turned to Dickson, a fellow Whitman student from Olympia, Washington. “I knew I wanted someone else to come on board because the idea of doing a film by myself, especially a documentary, which I haven’t done before, was intimidating,” Tzec says.

Dickson, who also has Mexican American roots, loved the idea. “I think we both felt like, as filmmakers, we have the skills to make this story a thing, so we have to do it, for our culture, for ourselves, for the club, for what they stand for,” he says.

Although they hadn’t worked together before, the two clicked instantly. “We naturally were both co-directors,” Dickson says. “The best part was that we never had to sit down and discuss what roles we were going to play. We just worked together well enough to fluidly switch between tasks. It’s really fun to work this way.”

Respect at the Wheel

As they embarked on the project, building trust with the club was essential. Dickson and Tzec weren’t just capturing cars—they were entering people’s lives. “We’re Mexican American; they’re Mexican American. That level of understanding—that we know where they’re coming from and they know where we’re coming from—really helped strengthen that bond,” Tzec says.

But they didn’t rely on cultural proximity alone. They spent time with club members on and off camera. “Whether it’s to film or just get to know them, we were always showing up,” Tzec recalls.

“The gateway was respect,” Dickson says. “We showed them that we weren’t just trying to make a movie for our own egos, that we actually cared about what they’re trying to do in the community and who they are as people.”

On their first day of filming, Dickson and Tzec were invited to a large family gathering. For seven hours, they captured a vibrant world filled with warmth, laughter and deep-rooted kinship. Over time, they felt more like family than guests, Tzec says. 

For Dickson, this was especially heartwarming. “As someone who is mixed race, I grew up in spaces where I was pushed to be a little bit more white than Chicano,” he says. “So I was a little bit nervous that maybe I didn’t have enough culture, enough spice, to get along with them. But they really accepted me and gave me some more of that spice over the course of the project, which I’m really proud of.”

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.’”

“My biggest inspiration has always been my peers, especially people of my community,” Tzec adds. He says the wide range of student-led initiatives organized through Whitman’s Hispanic Studies Department gave him the confidence to launch this project.

Dickson says he’s thankful to his Film and Media Studies peers. “The students in that department really know how to get things done. If you find your group at Whitman, it gives you an extra boost to want to go and do something meaningful.”

Looking Down the Road

After completing their ambitious project in August 2025, Dickson and Tzec began entering it in film festivals around the country. Although they face the festival circuit without the financial backing of a production company, they intend the quality of their work to be competitive—and it has been.

In November 2025, “Roll Modelz” was selected by a panel of judges to receive a 2025 Seattle International Film Festival Grant for Courageous Documentary Filmmaking, funded by the Satterberg Foundation.

“This grant changes everything,” Tzec says. “Being physically present at festivals is one of the best ways to make connections and build a name in the industry, but it’s expensive. Thanks to this grant, we can actually show up. We can get visibility.”

They hope community members will also support the project by spreading the word or contributing to the film’s GoFundMe. “We want people to know that this is something that can happen from Whitman students; the story is documented right here in town,” Dickson says. “We’ve never seen that done before.”

The pair is already hard at work on their next documentary project.

Watch the “Roll Modelz” trailer—and follow the film’s journey on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.