In Director Michael Cuesta’s Kill the Messenger, a reporter finds himself the target of dirty tricks after uncovering a CIA plot to finance the arming of Nicaraguan rebels by importing cocaine.
Based upon the true story of San Jose Mercury News reporter Gary Webb, Cuesta’s film retells the story of how Webb (Jeremy Renner) uncovered the CIA's role in importing huge amounts of cocaine into the U.S. to raise money for the Nicaraguan Contras rebel army, and as a result of going public with his evidence, experienced a vicious smear campaign as the agency and jealous rival reporters try to discredit his work.
Cuesta spoke about the making of the film in a conversation with Director Marc Levin (Chicagoland) after the October 23 DGA membership screening in New York.
In addition to Kill the Messenger, Cuesta’s filmography includes the feature films Roadie, 12 and Holding, Tell Tale and L.I.E.; the movies for television Babylon Fields and Second Sight; the pilot episodes of the series Elementary, The Oaks and Blue Bloods; and episodes of the series True Blood, Dexter and Six Feet Under. Cuesta was also twice nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for his pilot episode of the series Homeland in 2011 and the Homeland episode "The Choice" in 2012. He has been a member of the DGA since 1992.