Mia Donovan
2011
21-year-old Lara Roxx leaves her hometown of Montreal and heads to L.A. to try and find success in the adult entertainment industry. Within two months she contracts the most virulent form of HIV while performing sex in front of the camera. INSIDE LARA ROXX chronicles the events leading up to that scene and the years after it, accompanying Lara through a tumultuous five-year period as she struggles to build a new identity and find hope in the wake of her past.
CREDITS
Winner, Don Haig Award
Best Documentary on Society and Humanity, Guangzhou Doc
❛ “It’s a dark, depressing, drug- drenched saga, unflinchingly honest, sympathetic without being sucky. Yeah, there’s hope at the end but not a lot.” ❜
— The Globe and Mail
❛ “The most poignant message of Do- novan’s documentary: that we reserve compassion for those who we feel deserve it. Roxx lives in the world of women who struggle for this perpetually.” (Sasha Van Bon Bon) ❜
— Xtra
❛ “It’s a harrowing journey, but it’s also one of those powerful docs that manage to forge beyond the valley of the tabloids. Yes, Roxx’s story in innately sensational – how can it not be? – but Donovan treats Roxx with respect that gives the film and its subject depth and humanity.” (Matthew Hays) ❜
— POV Magazine
❛ “It is at times hard to watch Lara as she copes with her issues, but in the end it is a masterfully made doc that will hope- fully be a warning to other young women considering going into the adult film business.” (Brian McKechnie) ❜
— Criticize This!
❛ “Lara’s journey is a rollercoaster that peaks with revelations of self discov- ery and bottoms out with drug abuse and negative influences. Donovan does an excellent job depicting Lara’s life during the good times and bad.” (Sarah Gopaul) ❜
— Toronto Film Scene