Q: What was the impetus to make this film?

A: I was frustrated with the childish, schoolyard mentality that permeates this world. It really pushed me to look at what this entity that goes by the name of God means to people. Here we are in the 21st century, in a technologically advanced time, and you have grown men flying airplanes into buildings, shouting “God is Great.” You have a leader of the free world saying he invaded Iraq because God told him to. You have young men and women blowing themselves up to buy themselves a place in heaven. I decided to go around the world so that perhaps we might learn something from it.

Q: Why was your main question, “What is God?”

A: I decided to ask “What is God?” rather than “Who is God?” so I could be a little more objective. It takes out the idea of God being an image of man. It's like looking at it from the outside in, rather than the inside out. When you ask the question “Hello, what is God?” people kind of step back. The result is something very spontaneous.

Q: What role did your own spirituality have in the making of the film?

A: I am a spiritual person, and I do believe in the essence of power that binds everybody together. I was a little bit wary of religion because of its politicized nature that sometimes causes conflict around the world, as well as very good things. It was literally a searching thing for me.

Q: Why didn't you interview “big” religious leaders like the pope or Dalai Lama?

A: Because they are professional God people. They, of course, will tout their party line, and we've heard that before. I wanted to hear about what people felt about God on the streets, from all walks of life. Celebrities aren't paid for and don't live their life working day by day for a religion. I wanted to see, in a natural sort of way, what people felt on a social basis, not a political basis.

Q: What do you hope viewers will take away from the film?

A: To be more tolerant of other people who have different beliefs and to understand that we are much more united on this planet than we are divided. We're in this together: Most of us have two eyes, two arms and two legs and we're very similar. Let's celebrate the things that unite us and not be angry with those who don't think the same way we do.