UConn Screened Four Films by Carolyn Lazard
The University of Connecticut hosted screenings and a Q&A session with the artist at the Dodd Center for Human Rights.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Documentary
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The University of Connecticut Department of Social and Critical Inquiry screened four films by artist Carolyn Lazard on September 28, 2026. The event at the Dodd Center for Human Rights featured a virtual question and answer session with the artist.
Why it matters
Lazard uses film to examine the intersection of disability, chronic illness, healthcare, and labor. By presenting these works in an academic setting, the university facilitates public discourse on these critical systemic themes.
The screening featured four works: Crip Time, Vital, Fiction Contract, and Pre-Existing Condition. The latter film draws upon 100 historical research protocols from the University of Pennsylvania originating in the 1960s.
The players
Carolyn Lazard
Carolyn Lazard is an artist whose creative practice focuses on the themes of disability, chronic illness, healthcare, and labor.
University of Connecticut Department of Social and Critical Inquiry
This academic department focuses on investigating social structures and critical perspectives through research and public events.
Dodd Center for Human Rights
Located at the University of Connecticut, this facility serves as a hub for academic engagement, human rights research, and public events.
The details
The films explore complex themes, including birth simulation in Fiction Contract and the experiences of a woman named Maxine Smalls in Vital. Students and the public viewed the works at the Dodd Center for Human Rights before participating in a remote discussion with Lazard.
Timeline
The film screenings occurred on September 28, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This event reflects a broader shift in higher education toward integrating visual arts with critical social theory to engage audiences beyond traditional lectures. It positions university departments as vital curators of experimental media that challenge legacy institutional narratives.
Local residents and students were able to view the artist's work for free at the Dodd Center for Human Rights. Attendees gained direct access to the filmmaker during the virtual question and answer session following the screening.
The takeaway
Lazard's work encourages audiences to look critically at the intersection of medical labor and historical research protocols. Viewers can apply these insights to better understand how current healthcare systems and labor structures are rooted in past bureaucratic practices.
Further reading
For more on experimental film and social inquiry, visit the Documentary section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Campus.
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