Karyn Kusama: Origin Story

As a kid growing up in St. Louis, Karyn Kusama was a regular at the local independent theater, where she was able to experience worlds beyond her comprehension. These intoxicating encounters soon developed into an obsession. But it wasn’t until she saw two female-helmed films—Amy Heckerling’s FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH and Martha Coolidge’s VALLEY GIRL—that it dawned on Kusama that movies weren’t just something she could experience as a viewer, but something she could create as a director.