The word 'resilience,' in our American culture is closely aligned with 'grit,' and that word implies a certain moral fiber that says you can survive and thrive in any adversity, because you are strong - but that message of strength is both disqualifying and problematic.

In documentary films, being able to be a storytelling and embrace film as an art form - while being very clearly connected in trying to help make the world a better place - is really important to me.

I also think there is a wisdom and strength in that generation [of our parents], in terms of getting through difficult times, and there is a stoicism in the face of challenges that I greatly admire.

It's also important that I, or [Producer] Karen Pritzker, also say that this film [ Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hope] is not going to singlehandedly solve crime and poverty, or make big changes.

Our aim in the film ['Resilience'] is to make people understand that resilience is something you can create, build or develop, rather than just having as an inherent gift organically or thinking you are a special person. That's really important.

At the end of the day, the task I have is just like anyone else, to prove myself through my product or work. I've really found this to be true, the name advantage is a zero sum gain.

Through what I have witnessed and documented, with proper interventions you can break those cycles. When I made the first film on this subject, 'Paper Tigers,' kids were going off the cliff. But then there was intervention, and they won't go off the cliff.

There is also a philosophy of less-is-more, and a little dignity that never hurt anybody. There are many qualities to admire about our father's generation.

When you introduce these tools into the community, they can be adopted and implemented at the local level - and the results have been powerful. We have to ask the questions, how do people survive in poverty and other challenges of traumatic childhoods? And, until we fix this underlying problems, how do we help people in the meantime?

I think the macho mystique was far more a guiding principle in our Dad's generation than ours, the 'strong silent type' was much more common.

What my previous film 'Paper Tigers' have proven, is that it can point toward helpful tools for change.

My grandfather was a prominent executive at Chevron (oil), and of course my father is a fairly radical and progressive environmentalist. But he was also a very active Democrat and pacifist. More importantly, he was one of the best storytellers I've ever met. I think that trait has been passed down the line, even to my kids.

I'm in full support of that technique [meditation] , and what David Lynch is doing. It's very important.