Film is an oversimplification of things. That it really boils things down and makes them too simple.

I think most Muslims are incredibly upset with the state of America's foreign policy today and the state of the world.

I think people need to see on both sides. Seeing how the people in the Palestinian Territories can't move around - it's a maze now, with the wall, the road blocks and everything else. It takes you hours to get from one person's house to your job or to a friend or even to the hospital if someone's hurt. Then you go into Israel and see in Tel Aviv, where they have 12-18 bomb threats a day, which are real. It completely disrupts their life. Or Sderot where bombs are falling daily from the sky fired by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

I don't know. I have incredible amounts of hope that things can change. It takes people who believe.

I believe in storytelling, not story-selling. I want people to believe the characters are real. So I'm a realist.

I think that I'm pretty much who you see onscreen. Are there times when I ask questions of people and have a sense of what their answer may be? Sure. I think that you can't deny that. But you still want to hear from that person, even though you may anticipate what they may say. I am as natural right now as I am when I talk to somebody in the Middle East. It's just trying to be a real person to them. So long as I can be as honest with myself when I make a movie like that, I can continue to be honest with you.

I don't go into a movie with preconceived notions of where I want things to go.