Karen moved to the Stanford Program from New York where she had been doing psychological research at The Psychiatric Institute and assisting documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus on two films about juvenile justice. Just before leaving New York, she was the assistant editor for a PBS documentary on the history of African-American dance.

On the Road with Temple
Digital video
20 min.

On the Road with Temple is a 20-minute film that follows Dr. Temple Grandin as she travels around the country. Temple has autism and is one of the leading designers of cattle slaughter facilities in the country. Her Autism has uniquely contributed to her success in understanding animal behavior. Stories about her have appeared in The New Yorker, Time Magazine and on NPR. The film is an intimate road portrait of Temple and her tales of autism and cattle slaughter. On the Road with Temple explores the ways in which our hardwiring contributes to our shaping and understanding of the world. Areas particularly affected by autism are reactions to visual, aural and tactile stimulation; communication; social interaction; and attachment.

Collision
16mm film, color
8 min.

Collision explores how role-play, performance, simulation, and fear are being used on a large scale to mobilize high school communities against drunk driving.

Lucid Nights
Co-directed by Renee Fischer and Karen Lefcourt
Digital video
9 minutes

Lucid Nights explores the state of consciousness known as lucid dreaming, when a person is aware he is dreaming - while he is dreaming - and can make active choices and direct his dream as a result.

Super Lotto Plus
16mm film, black and white