Following in his father's stead, Michael Cuesta began his career as a photographer before segueing to directing commercials. Eventually, though, he moved into writing and directing feature films and he earned nearly unanimous praise for the well-crafted, controversial "L.I.E." (2001). Raised on Long Island in the tony community of Dix Hills, Cuesta spent two high school summer vacations working as a newspaper intern and photojournalist in Puerto Rico. After attending NYC's School of Visual Arts, he marked time as a photographer's assistant before eventually opening his own shop (as his father
