Mitchell's novel tells six separate but interrelated stories that take place across hundreds of years, and in order to make it happen, the Wachowskis and Tykwer divided directorial duties between the different segments.  It's an unconventional approach to an unconventional movie, and given that Cloud Atlas doesn't have a catchy logline, a simple concept, and isn't based on a crazy-recognizable property, it wasn't easy to get made.  Even with a cast that includes Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, the directors explain, the film had to be independently financed, though Warner Bros. is distributing.

Not only is this a fun two-and-a-half minute video in which the directors' personalities and real enthusiasm for Cloud Atlas shows through clearly, but it's a rare interview with the Wachowskis.  You've probably only ever seen the sibling directorial duo on a couch in a grainy video with bad sound from when the first The Matrix hit theaters.  The Wachowskis are so reticent to do press that their contract for The Matrix sequels even included a stipulation that they not be required to make appearances or do interviews.

That Lana and Andy Wachowski are pushing the film in this video, which showed up at Apple, can be read as a testament to their passion for Cloud Atlas.

The core cast of the film all appear in multiple roles across all the different stories that comprise Cloud Atlas.  Among these recurring players are Hanks, Berry, Jim Broadbent, Ben Whishaw, Doona Bae, Hugh Grant, Keith David, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, and James D'Arcy.

Cloud Atlas is scheduled to hit theaters on October 26th.