In the week before the release of his documentary, The 11th Hour (see "In Search of a Happy Ending", Leonardo DiCaprio spoke with senior editor Laura Wright from his home in Los Angeles about why he made the film:

In the late nineties, I started to learn about global warming and it scared the hell out of me. I made a couple of three-minute segments for my Web site. And then I thought, wouldn't it be great to make a feature-length film and let the innovators in the environmental movement -- scientists, professors, people who devote their lives to these issues -- be the stars of the show. I wanted to give them a chance to speak unedited. Too often on the news shows, they have to waste time debating whether the issue is real or not.

Instinctively I felt that I wanted to hear the harsh reality of what's going on. I'd seen some incredible documentaries, but I always got the feeling that they wrapped it up in a sweet little package -- as if we had lots of time left [to act]. I wanted to make a film that showed bleak prospects in order to get people emotionally invested so that they felt inspired to act.

I didn't want to preach to the choir. I wanted to reach out to people who had not heard the advice of these experts. But I also didn't want viewers to come away thinking I was just pushing them to live an eco lifestyle. It's impossible if you have a family with children, and you need an SUV, and you're thinking how the hell am I going to get solar panels for my house. As important as individual action is, corporations and government, the people who have power, need to implement green technologies. Our country has to pave the way for the rest of the world. If the U.S. doesn't make changes, why should other countries? But if we, the voters, don't speak up, it won't happen.