This interview is a combination of an old interview and some new questions that we ask Stephen Simon.

In your words, what is the Spiritual Cinema Circle?

The world's first and only home DVD subscription service that delivers 4 films per month that warm your heart, expand your mind, and stir your soul.

What was the inspiration behind the Spiritual Cinema Circle?

First of all, to create a distribution outlet for filmmakers who want to make movies that ask who we are and why we're here - films that help us feel better about human beings.

Second, to make those films available to an audience that has grown weary of the cynicism and emptiness of most studio films. An audience that wants films which are focused on the lost art of the story.

We see Spiritual Cinema as the 21st Century version of shamanic storytelling - with filmmakers as the modern day shamans, sitting around a celluloid campfire, passing down the myths and hopes of a culture from one generation to another.

What has the response been?

Beyond extraordinary. We have subscribers in over 70 countries around the world. Our subscribers are intensely loyal and seem to be as passionate about what we're doing as we are.

Today, that shaman is a film maker and the light of the fire is the flickering of a movie on a screen.

What do you feel about film as compared to the other kinds of medium?

Film is the most powerful communication device ever devised by humanity. I said that in my book THE FORCE IS WITH YOU five years ago and it grows more true with each passing day, from feature films to videos on youtube.com. Film is the 21st century version of a shaman standing around a campfire, passing down the myths of a culture from one generation to another. Today, that shaman is a film maker and the light of the fire is the flickering of a movie on a screen.

How do you go about selecting your films? In other words, what makes a good spiritual film?

As to the process itself, Anna Darrah, our Director of Acquisitions, is in touch with filmmakers and film festivals around the world. We feel that our subscribers are getting a virtual ticket to every spiritual film in every film festival in the world.

As to the films themselves, while drama does require conflict and the resolution of that conflict, it does not require that the resolution come in a violent or dehumanizing package. We choose films that respect and illuminate the majesty and promise of our humanity, films that have a core respect for the truth that we are a species that can consciously love... and forgive. More simply put, these movies allow us to look at who we can be as a humanity when we operate at our very best.

Why do you think spiritual films are good for us? What impact can they have on our health? What impact can they have on our consciousness?

As background, we need to first distinguish between spiritual entertainment and religious entertainment.

While religious and spiritual have much more in common than they are different, most mainstream media imply that they are synonymous, and they are not. "Religion" reflects the teachings of particular organized religions that commonly present specific rules, regulations, and rituals that must be followed in order to experience a connection with the Divine which is usually identified as male and outside of humanity. 'Spirituality' entails a more personal, inner-directed, and individual experience of the Divine, which is represented as an integral aspect of our own humanity. The Passion would be a classic example of Religious Cinema while Whale Rider would be a prime example of Spiritual Cinema.

They encourage us to manifest the magic of our potential as the dreamers, lovers, and architects of a new reality where we truly can find peace within our hearts and minds.

As to the potential impact of Spiritual Cinema, these films remind us of the eternal nature of our soul's journey. Regardless of what most mainstream media outlets would have us believe, humanity is NOT a debased species and these films remind us of that distinction. They encourage us to manifest the magic of our potential as the dreamers, lovers, and architects of a new reality where we truly can find peace within our hearts and minds.