Documentary filmmaker Lois Stark notes that history is often told as a story of rulers and wars; she prefers to tell the story of human history through the lens of shape. Stark will illustrate the mental maps that shape how humans build shelters, bind social systems, and form sacred sites.

Stark is the author of the forthcoming book The Telling Image: Shapes of Changing Times. She has been a producer and writer for NBC News, filming in Africa, the Middle East, Cuba, Northern Ireland, Europe, and the USA. She has produced and written over forty documentaries on architecture, medical research, globalization, artists, and social issues. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and has master’s degrees in communication and in education.