In a fax sent to many hopeful collaborators, the pair explained the project. They hoped to create an experience that fused spoken word, musicians, sounds, rhythms and images from all parts of the world. Artists, storytellers, scientists, authors and philosophers from different cultures all participate and are used to illustrate the idea of a world culture and a humanity that resides within us all, a unity in diversity is how it's labeled by the filmmakers. All the more relevant because of the events happening in the world presently, Catto and Bridgeman have attempted to reveal the common bond that unties everyone and every culture the world over.

The DVD (there is also a CD) is broken into 9 distinct sections that cover various aspects of culture and the world today. The chapters are: Time, Masks, Money, Confrontation, God, Inspiration, Sex, Death and Happy. Each chapter begins with a quote from famous person such as Bill Gates, Einstein, or T.S. Elliott and then is followed by an arrangement of interviews, music, sound bytes and visual art all blended seamlessly together.

Perhaps part of the reason the project is so engrossing is because of the collaborative way in which it was made. Rather than request that the many artists on the project visit them in the studio, Catto and Bridgeman-with Apple Powerbook and equipment in hand, took the recording studio to the artist. From the front stoop of a house in Varanasi, India surrounded by monkeys, to the backyard of R.E.M. front-man Michael Stipe's Athens, Georgia home, the pair were able to capture an intimacy and comfort that is unequaled in the sterile environment of a studio.

What makes this DVD so perfect is its seamless blend of so many things. Music lovers will appreciate the large variety of music featured in this disc. Anyone interested in history, psychology, or politics will find at least a few moments that interest them on this disc. Likewise, anyone with an eye for design or art will find this a successful work of art on its own. The menus, video and included booklet (which is massive) are all exquisitely designed with a style both functional and visually interesting. This is not a DVD to be watched and put away. You watch it and think and find yourself wanting to watch it again.

Video: The video here is a mix between full screen and widescreen, depending on the subject. The quality varies as well, but truly never becomes an issue. All the footage looks great and any grain, imperfections and distractions are either barely noticeable or placed there for effect. A lot of the footage has a color and vibrancy that masks its digital video origins.

Sound: Mixed mostly on a 32-track mobile studio power by an Apple laptop computer, the sound is as you'd expect on a musically themed DVD. The digital soundtrack is crisp, clean and aurally interesting. The musical tracks fill the room and the vocals in the interviews and musical segments are always audible.

Extras: Another great feature of this DVD is the integration of the extras. There are several, but the design of the DVD menu and navigation makes the feel like an equal part to the film. You can view the segments on the DVD in three different ways. Chapter is just as it sounds, loop mode continuously plays the selected track and jukebox mode lets you select your favorites and play them in the order that you wish. There are two ways to view the Explore, or behind the scenes footage. You can view them broken down by country visited or you can turn on a Matrix like icon system that will take you to a related feature. The behind-the-scenes footage is as interesting as the feature itself and is worth a viewing. There are also two music videos included from CD singles and the book that comes with the DVD, which is a work of art itself. At almost 40 pages, it's a visual and lyrical exploration of the contents on the DVD and also serves as a journal to the filmmakers experience in making the disc. They have written and short paragraph or two on each country visited and what they experienced there.

Overall: This is truly one of the most unique, interesting and provocative DVDs you will see. Its unique combination of so many elements makes it as much a work of art as one of entertainment. Combine that with the well-integrated extras and informative book and this easily makes it into the DVDTalk Collector Series in hopes of more and more people seeking it out.