I am passionate. I am political about my country, about what it is, how strong it is, how strong it remains.

From my experience in my country, America over and over again takes itself right to the brink, it puts one foot over but it never goes over. It wakes up at the last minute and says woah, and then pulls back...

I think documentary filmmakers need as much protection as possible under journalist's privilege. How else is the public to know what is going on?

As an artist I just can't think of a better life than the one I've been blessed with. It's just a great ride.

In 1973, I was shown a graphic of how dependent the United States was on nonrenewable resources like oil and coal and that little was being done to change that. It seemed irrefutable that we needed a change in direction or we'd be paying a huge price down the road. That's when I made a commitment to become a political activist.

...if our humanity - our soul as a society - is overtaken by the materiel and cosmetic, there will be no hope of peace.

It's a creative enterprise, just like art, just like painting, music. Creating something can be done in different categories, so to do it in film is just another expression, which is great. Because it translates so well because so many people see the work, if you're lucky.