Laz Rojas, Outsider

I've been watching every episode of the VICE series Outsider, which focuses on filmmakers on the far fringes. There's a melancholy that undercuts many of their stories but none has hit quite as hard as the story of Laz Rojas. The Los Angeles filmmaker is best known for a demo reel he created in the early 90's in which he single-handedly depicts 102 different characters. As with many of the Outsider creators, it's easy to laugh at the projects they've undertaken. Sincerity and earnestness often doesn't mix well with being somewhat amateur.

I highly encourage you to watch the full episode as you quickly see past the awkwardness and discover that Rojas is an incredibly skilled editor, makeup artist and maybe not the worst actor. His living situation makes the whole thing heartbreakingly tragic but that just contributes to the compelling nature of his story.

After you've watched that, read through this interview with Outsider host Zack Carlson and VICE to gain even more insight into just what makes Laz Rojas tick. Then dive deep into the Rojas film archive.