I have no idea what I’m doing.
That line appears in the opening minutes of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. It’s a sentiment frequently echoed by artists, sometimes unaware that uncertainty can be the best beginning to even greater stories.
That feeling resonates not only with the film’s protagonist, but with its director, Alfonso Gómez-Rejón. Long before streaming made cinema instantly accessible, the Laredo-born filmmaker was building his artistic world through whatever means he could find.
“In many ways, the environment shaped me through what wasn’t there as much as what was,” Gómez-Rejón said.
What Laredo lacked in outlets for young creatives, he found at home, “surrounded by the arts” and a supportive family. “My parents loved music, theater, and creative expression, and they encouraged that curiosity,” he said.
Through late-night music television and frequent visits to Video Hut on Malinche Avenue, Gómez-Rejón began building his own informal film education.
Video stores introduced him to the works of filmmakers like David Lynch and Martin Scorsese, while MTV’s 120 Minutes exposed him to the experimental, avant-garde style of music videos associated with the alternative rock acts of his youth.
“Filmmakers simply spoke directly to me, and movies became a kind of sanctuary – a place of escape,” he said. “They became their own kind of education, one that invited you to break the rules.”
That self-directed education soon became an obsession that defined his teenage years. Still, given the limited resources in Laredo at the time, a career in film didn’t initially feel like a realistic path. Before then, it “didn’t feel far away; it simply didn’t exist as an idea,” he recalled.
That changed after a conversation with his sister, one that reframed filmmaking as something not just to admire, but to pursue as a profession.
He applied to New York University through its Early Admission program and was accepted. Following his graduation from St. Augustine High School, Gómez-Rejón moved to New York City at 17 to begin his studies.
The culture shock of moving from Laredo to New York City could have been overwhelming, but he leaned into it. “I had an insatiable curiosity and a genuine love of film history, and that’s what opened doors for me,” he said.
That curiosity eventually led him to work alongside filmmakers he had once studied, including Martin Scorsese, giving him early opportunities to learn the craft at a professional level and refine his voice behind the camera.
“Confidence and ability weren’t always aligned,” he said. “The people who went on to have the greatest impact on me all shared a common quality: humility.”
That perspective would remain central to his work as his career progressed, including Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, which explores humor, grief, and coming-of-age through a deeply personal yet universal lens.
The film received the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. He dedicated the film to the memory of his late father, Julio C. Gómez-Rejón, MD.
Similar to the film’s protagonist, Gómez-Rejón’s journey reflects a willingness to embrace uncertainty and vulnerability, rather than shy away from them.
“I try to make films from the heart, from my own point of view, not to chase something external, but because I have something personal to say,” Gomez- Rejon said. “I’m always trying to find my way back to that inner voice.”
As he looks ahead, Gómez-Rejón remains less concerned with defining a legacy than with continuing to evolve. “I think legacy is something that only really makes sense with time,” he said. “Right now, I’m focused on doing the work and continuing to grow.”
This includes hosting master classes alongside fellow industry professionals, such as cinematographer Frederick Elmes. Through engaging with young filmmakers, particularly from the border, he sees an opportunity for diverse storytelling.
“If anything comes of it down the line, I hope it’s that more people from places like Laredo feel that their stories matter, and feel encouraged to tell them,” Gómez-Rejón said.
Gómez-Rejón’s path proves creativity can grow despite limitations and finding strength in the unknown. If there is anything to take away from that opening line and his journey thus far, it’s that sometimes, uncertainty is the best place to begin your story.
(Rebekah Rodriguez is a Laredo native whose collection of work spans news writing, poetry, and personal essays. Her work has been featured in Laredo Morning Times, DVINO Magazine, Rio Magazine, and Infrarrealista Review. Connect with her on Instagram @rebekahrdz.)
