📍 Where cinema & travel meet to inspire you
Hello there! I’m Michael.
Perhaps to an unusual degree, stories have shaped my life from the start:
I grew up on the equator in post-colonial Africa as a “third culture kid”. I read The Lord of the Rings every year, shot my own version of Star Wars with my siblings, and listened to The Chronicles of Narnia whenever I had malaria.
Since then, I’ve lived, worked, and traveled across five continents, and today, I wander full-time as a “nomad” in search of new perspectives.
Professionally, I’m an award-winning screenwriter and film educator. After graduating from NYU Tisch and freelancing in NYC, I ran Lights Film School, a popular website through which I mentored 1000s of students from 90 different countries in the art and craft of filmmaking. My writing has been featured in places like The Black List, Austin Film Festival, and The PAGE Awards, and my latest screenplay is in development in LA.
I created The Lighthouse because I believe stories are more than entertainment.
They help us navigate change, uncertainty, and transformation, inspiring us to think more broadly and live stories worth telling.
If you want to go beyond appreciating stories to telling better ones - through your creative work and in the way you move through the world - you’re in the right place!
A look at what subscribers are saying:
“In a world where story shrapnel are attacking from all directions, with each one tearing at my eardrums and eyelids in an attempt to win over the chance to bamboozle my brain into attention, it is very soothing to listen to your gentle invitation to share in your experience... I felt like a young girl sitting in a cozy Victorian living room, listening to a kin speak of his worldwide exotic travels… With what feels like a sincere and humble empathy for the world, the people you encounter, and the listeners, you reveal small and simple yet rich, and often overlooked, experiences which remind us (myself) of how big and round the world is, and how little I really know of it.” - Danielle C.
“We’ve been enjoying your Substack… Somehow you are writing and thinking about the same things we have been wrestling with over the last couple of years… Your writing is very good, and we should know. We’re big readers here. ;) I believe that we human beings understand and process life through story, and that we need stories to keep understanding it better… Thank you for your work!” - Victoria B.
🎟️ What you get when you subscribe, free & paid
The Lighthouse offers free and paid subscriptions.
Everyone gets CALL TO ADVENTURE, my main newsletter, delivered by email roughly twice a month. It cuts through the overwhelm of the media landscape so you can find artful films worth your time.
You’ll deepen your understanding of filmmaking with curated analyses of meaningful movies, like these ones:
Why The Brutalist deserves to win Best Picture
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Is there someone out there you’re destined to be with?
Inception: Why you should take a leap of faith
Perfect Days: What do you want for your life?
The Lighthouse offers guidance in the same spirit as Lights Film School, through which I mentored 1000s of students from 90 different countries, with an eye toward taking the guesswork out of the equation:
“There are many free filmmaking resources on the internet, but these are scattered and disconnected… Lights Film School, conversely, guides its students through a highly structured curriculum with excellent feedback!” - Julian E.
“I love what you’re doing with The Lighthouse… and really am happy to see that you’re continuing to spread good vibes through it… It’s such a great way to carry on the legacy of what you did so well at Lights Film School, offering deep thought, information, and analysis.” - Lauren H.
You’ll also travel with me to far-flung places, like Nepal, where we’ll meet people whose perspectives challenge us to see the world - and ourselves - more clearly.
CALL TO ADVENTURE is just the beginning.
If you want to go deeper, a paid subscription for $5/month or $50/year unlocks:
🎬 Our exclusive Movie Club, where we hang out, talk shop, and break down films together in real-time.
For example, we dove deep into Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar in honor of the film’s tenth anniversary. And when visionary filmmaker David Lynch passed away, we explored one of his most unusual films in celebration of his legacy.
With new Movie Club events roughly once a month, there’s always a screening and discussion to look forward to, whether it’s a cult classic, hidden gem, or fresh release sparking conversation. (Please note that you need your own copy of the film if you want to watch along with us, but you’re welcome to tune in regardless).
💬 More ways to connect and engage, integrated into our community over time. For example, Q&As, live discussions, guided writing exercises, and other interactive events that broaden our thinking and bring us all closer together.
📬 DM with me personally, so we can chat one-on-one about film and travel and get your questions answered.
🎁 Bonus resources that help you become a better filmmaker, repurposed from my 15+ years of teaching experience. These are still in development; I expect to have them available by summer 2025.
The Lighthouse is a 100% reader-supported publication.
Paid subscriptions help keep The Lighthouse ad-free and thriving, so I can continue creating content that sparks something in you - and fostering a space where storytellers, seekers, and sojourners can kick up their feet by the proverbial fire.
I hope you’ll pull up a chair and join us!
