"My background is in international politics and when Mikhail Gorbachev emerged in the Soviet Union and he began his work of glasnost and perestorika, it was a wonder to behold as all of us who watched the cold war closely were very concerned that it could possibly end in another war.  The mostly peaceful devolution of the Warsaw Pact and the reunification of Germany brought hopeful visions of a united Europe and a world at peace. Nuclear weapons arsenals were drastically cut and the potential for nuclear annihilation went down.  It was as if a black cloud lifted.  Cut to today, and the world stands again in what people call a "new cold war" with nuclear arsenals expanding again and the war of words and propaganda increasing, with unease spreading across the planet.  How did we get here?  The Arrow of Time answers this question and draws on the wisdom of those who shepherded the end of the Cold War and German reunification, from Mikhail Gorbachev himself, to George Shultz, to Horst Teltschik,  Hubert Vedrine and Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow, among others.  Their wisdom spans World War II to modern times and they know what it takes to make peace.  As a world hurtling again toward confrontation, and at a time when arrogance and hubris regarding nuclear weapons abounds -- there is the thought that there indeed can be "limited nuclear war" -- it is well worth our while to take in the wisdom of these people; and my effort with this film is to bring these thoughts and ideas to everyone while also providing context, engagement and understanding." - Leila Conners