A Letter From The Founder
You might wonder why a gastroenterologist is making legacy films.
A decade ago, during the hardest stretch of my life, I enrolled in a film class — a quiet attempt to chase a dream I'd kept to myself for years. It reminded me I wanted to live. It also planted the seed of what became L36.
My first film, LOVE | EVOL(ved), began as an inquiry into what makes for a peaceful, full life, told through conversations with scientists, theologians, and historians. One of them, Dervish Ismail, introduced me to a Kabbalah tradition called the Lamed Vav: in every generation, thirty-six righteous souls, unknown even to themselves, keep the world from collapse. The idea took root. I began to wonder whether someone in my own life might be one of the Thirty-Six — and gradually, friends and family found their way into the film alongside the experts.
LOVE | EVOL(ved) aired on PBS and traveled further than I expected. But the part that surprised me most was personal. What I'd set out to make as a film about healing turned out to be, at its heart, a love letter to my family.
That's the experience L36 was built to share. We help people make cinematic short films about the people they love — parents, partners, mentors, children — so that the act of paying close attention becomes part of the gift. Our hope is that the Thirty-Six aren't somewhere distant. They're often sitting across the table from us, if we're curious enough to notice.
What if cinematic storytelling, the kind that pulled me back from depression, could help others see the beauty in their own lives? What if we listened more carefully to the people closest to us and saw them more clearly?
L36 began as one physician's path through a hard season. It became a creative practice. Now, I hope, it's a small offering: a way to make storytelling a ritual, and to remind us that being present with the people we love is the legacy.
Thank you for being here at the start.
— Steven
As Seen On
Our founder's award-winning documentary, LOVE | EVOL(ved), premiered on PBS and explores the extraordinary love stories that have shaped families across generations. It's the same heart and craft we bring to every L36 Legacy Film.
Take a moment to watch and experience the cinematic storytelling that defines our approach—intimate, authentic, and timeless.
Watch on PBSTo see the extraordinary in ordinary lives — and turn it into beautiful films of a life's work, a loved one, a family, a community.
We capture genuine moments and real stories, preserving the true essence of each person.
Every film is crafted with cinematic care, blending storytelling with beautiful visuals.
We create heirloom films designed to be cherished by families for generations to come.
A small team with one standard: the attention we would want paid to our own families.
Founder
A board-certified gastroenterologist and the filmmaker behind LOVE | EVOL(ved), which premiered on PBS in 2023. Steven started L36 to bring the attention of documentary filmmaking to the people who hold our own lives together.
Co-Founder & CFO
Nina leads strategy and growth for L36 and keeps the company's finances honest. A business-development leader by career, she is also Director of Memberships at Arena Hall in Austin, and brings that same instinct for community and connection to every L36 partnership.
Creative Director
An Emmy-nominated director and cinematographer whose feature Land of My Father played IDFA, Full Frame and True/False. Matthew has filmed in Antarctica for the National Science Foundation, taught documentary filmmaking in Austin and Zimbabwe, and makes cinema-vérité films about tradition and identity. At L36 he shapes how every film is shot and cut.
