WRITER

"Why do we Write? ​  -- On the first day of each semester, I'd ask this question of my students at NYU -- those who'd gotten into the popular class: "Writing About Global Affairs."

Hands would shoot up!: "To influence people! To express yourself! To bear witness!"  And finally: "To tell a story!"  Someone would say.

"And why do tell stories?" Students would hesitate, as if it might be a trick-question. THis would be my "cue" to explain that story speaks directly to the human operating system, and take it from there...

But once, a former Marine who had just come back from two tours in Iraq, threw me a curve ball: Why do we tell stories?

​

"To become famous and get laid?" He said. We all burst into laughter.

​

I could  have told him that the chances of a writer becoming widely published are as tall as a high school ball player getting picked by the NBA. But, "fame" aside, he had made us laugh. And there is always truth in laughter...

"Okay." I said. The laughter stopped net. I had to bring this back to "global affairs" somehow.... What truth just made us laugh?

"Throughout history," I was riffing here "men have indeed written love letters to win over a woman's heart. But let's think about why? Perhaps it it because,  in male dominated societies, a woman might want to know... What will be the story of her life? If she committed to marriage...would she be treated as an equal? If not by society, at least in her home? Would she be RESPECTED?" 

​

"In fact" I realized. "I can't think of a greater political question on the planet than how half of humanity treats the other half!"

Phew!  In the book I was writing while at NYU, I thanked my students for teaching me more than they could ever imagine.

​

Soon after, I was invited to be a founding member of NYU's Women's Initiative, which, has since grown into an energizing catalyst for the infusion of gender issues into foreign policy thinking. 

Whether I write for Hollywood or news outlets, public or corporate leaders, I stick to a simple motto.

​

Success always favors to those who have the most compelling story on their side.

SAMPLE ARTICLES

Click Here

AFTER WRITING ENOUGH ARTICLES, I WAS ABLE TO PUBLISH A MEMOIR

ABOUT MY "CRASH COURSE IN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY"

​​.

First and Second Edition

“Soussan landed the job of his dreams, working for the United Nations on the biggest aid program it had ever attempted. However, anyone familiar with the tales of Soussan's fellow countryman Hans Christian Andersen will expect dark truths to emerge from the most innocent exteriors […] this book will come as a revelation.” The Sunday Times

​

All Critical Reviews

IMPACT

The intelligence that caused me to resign came from a female spy. To protect her, I had to wait until an Iraqi newspaper

published it to call for a investigation that involved 2,300 big name corporations (some very dangerous). My Op-Ed helped spark:

THE BIGGEST INVESTIGATION INTO GLOBAL CORRUPTION IN HISTORY. BY FAR.

(See The COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS' summary:

I was invited back to the UN to brief top officials who launched a wave of reforms to future whistleblowers. I am now often engaged to advise corporate and public ethics committees on how to prevent scandals by listening to (usually young and competent) staff who want to work "through the system" to sound the alarm on wrongdoing.

The risks I took and the threats I faced for speaking out

were a subject in a French Documentary by OSCAR-WINNING DIRECTOR Denis Poncet produced for ARTÉ. 

My EXPERIENCE yielded a MEMOIR, then a FILM

​

TRAILER AND INTERVIEW

Michael Soussan

On the ground in Iraq

Review

Theo James

On the film set

US Theatrical Distribution

Review

And if you speak Italian...

International Theatrical Distribution

PRODUCTION COMPANIES

NEW FILMS

&

AWARDS AND SALES

Films and Screenplays sold, distributed or in development

(Inquiries Welome -  Contact Portal Below)

CLICK on ICONS to VIEW

THE FREEDOM RING

TV Limited Series

Inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book

THE MOST FAMOUS MAN IN AMERICA

(Sold - in Development)

MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION

Based on a True Story

​

​

(Sold - in Development)

MOMMY HEIST

​

Co-Writer, Producer

"Three Single Mothers Pull A Heist"

​

Sold and Distributed

A LUCKY MAN

Co-Producer

Multi-Award Winning film

​

Written by

Anna Gutto

Official Selection

Semi-Finalist

Official Selection

Prime Feature

Official Selection

Cannes Film Festival

Financed by

Sloan Foundation

​

Pre-production

Distributed by

Watch it on

Media Consultant

I have worked for a wide spectrum of companies and organizations as media advisor, a producer, a speechwriter and an intelligence analyst. Strategic messaging and storied content helps a range of companies, think tanks PR agencies make decisions in rapidly evolving situations. My experience helps me save them the time they need to focus on managing their operations effectively when time is short.  

​

Managers are typically excellent communicators.

The main service an advisor can provide is to save them time.

​

CONSULTING

CLICK on ICONS to VIEW

VIDEO PRODUCTION

GHOSTWRITER

ADVISER & PRODUCER

WIDEO PRODUCER

U.S.C.E.N.T.C.O.M

INTELLIGENCE & ANALYSIS

SPEECHWRITER

PRO-BONO ADVISOR

THESE TALKS WERE NOT PUBLIC

Except for my testimony before Congress

The London School of Economics

The Harvard Club

of New York

Testimony before the United States Congress

Guest Lecture at

John Hopkins University

CLICK LOGO for TRANSCRIPT

Morgan Stanley

Benefit Speaking Series

Lecture about the Iraq Conflict

Comemoration Speech

Closed Pannel Discussion

With Sir Richard Dearlove

Former Head of the M.I.6