We know his name. We know his music. We even know his indelible impact on the film industry and pop culture at large. For over half a century, his handwritten notes have magically leapt off the page and directly into our hearts.

But how many of us really know the man wielding the baton behind the legend that is John Williams? How many of us are aware of the gentle soul behind the larger-than-life triumphs of Jaws, Star Wars, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Schindler's List?

Accomplished filmmaker and documentarian Laurent Bouzereau hopes to change all that with Music By John Williams. Now streaming exclusively on Disney+, the film is an intimate, emotional, and deeply humanizing portrait of the greatest silver screen maestro of all time (and yes he is the GOAT; that's not up for debate). "He has done so much for music and musicians and film, that I hope the documentary is a thank you back to him," says Bouzereau, who, like Williams, has made a career out of collaborations with Steven Spielberg.

Featuring interviews with a wide range of industry veterans -- from Spielberg and George Lucas to Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin -- the documentary shines a light on Williams' journey from a humble jazz musician to world-renowned composer known not only for his scintillating soundtracks, but also for his unwavering dedication to the raw power of the orchestra.

"He's constantly curious, he's constantly studying," Bouzereau adds, referring to the fact that even at the age of 92, Williams refuses to rest on his laurels. "Part of the challenge of convincing him to do this was to look back at his career and life -- and that's something he doesn't do. He likes to look ahead, he likes to keep moving. When we were with him in Tanglewood [summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a place Williams has visited annually for decades], he was looking at the score of Superman and was making changes. I'm like, "John! You're making changes to Superman?!" I just love that he constantly never feels that it's finished. That was something I really wanted to capture."

Translation: Get ready to fall in love with the music of John Williams all over again...

Josh Weiss: You've spent a great deal of your career shadowing Steven, chronicling the production of his movies and writing books about him. What's been your relationship with John?

Laurent Bouzereau: My relationship with John started at the same time as my relationship with Steven. I was called on to do a documentary retrospective on Steven's film 1941 and obviously, music was a big part of that film. That's when I first met John and began my journey documenting all of Steven's movies. And if you are close to Steven, you're close to John. But I have to say, I was as nervous to meet Steven as I was to meet John and vice versa. I've always seen them as brothers and and as a part of the success of those films, as Steven himself would acknowledge. I'm not the first one want to do a doc on John, but to be the chosen one is a huge honor.

Weiss: Going off that, how did you want to set this documentary apart from previous explorations of John Williams?

Bouzereau: I definitely did not want it to feel like parade of the greatest hits. I wanted it to be story-driven and I really wanted it to have a bit of a dramatic structure. I didn't know about the loss of his wife or his time at the Boston Pops and the challenge of convincing musicians to do film scores. [I also wanted to answer the question of], "How do you reinvent yourself through decades of cinema?" What was it about John that constantly stimulated new generations of filmmakers and viewers? Here I am, at my age, having been influenced by Star Wars, and you have a whole new generation, many years later, influenced by Harry Potter. What's the thing they have in common? It's John. That's what I wanted the film to be about, the timeless nature of John -- and where does it come from?

Weiss: Even in his 90s, John is a very busy guy. How much time did you get with him for this project?

Bouzereau: I didn't count, but it was a lot. The thing that makes me happy is that sometimes I'd be at Amblin and I'd bump into him, and he was like, "When are we filming some more?" It's like, "Oh my God, he's excited! That's so great!" We followed him to Tanglewood, we followed him to the Hollywood Bowl, we went to San Francisco. Physically, it's very demanding and I'm like, "Wait a minute, you have no right to feel exhausted! This man is working so hard!"

Weiss: Do you get used to being around John and Steven on a regular basis, or is it like entering the Holy of Holies every time?

Bouzereau: No, you never get used to being in the presence of such incredibly inspiring people; people you've admired your entire life. Watching them at work, talking to them, and documenting them is a real privilege. I always pinch myself and I'm forever grateful. I never take it for granted.

Weiss: John's career spans more than half a century, and it's still going. Was it a challenge trying to tell his story in just under two hours?

Bouzereau: It was a challenge, but I was really guided by John himself. He's quite a conductor, I have to say. I would sometimes go and talk to him without the cameras, just to get a sense of what we would focus on. He was a great guy, but having lived with his music for so many years, I kind knew instinctively what I wanted to to focus on.

Weiss: Did a lot of footage get left on the cutting room floor?

Bouzereau: I don't measure those things. I think the story we're telling is very tight, and I didn't compromise. I just feel like the film had to be what it needed to be, and it really landed where it is. My film on Faye Dunaway that came out [earlier] this year was around the same length. All my films have to have a through-line and if you are trying to be definitive, then you need to read Wikipedia. My films need to tell stories that are very clear, very structured, and you have to be at peace with [the fact that] someone's going to come out of the theater and say, "You didn't talk about my favorite score!" or "You didn't talk about my favorite Faye Dunaway movie!" I've had that happen and I'm like, "Well, I feel the story I told was the story I felt deserved to be told."

Weiss: This documentary is, of course, your statement on John and his body of work, but if you were to be put in front of the camera, what would you say makes him so iconic and magical?

Bouzereau: What makes John so magical and iconic is that he has transcended the art-form and not only made it his own, but our own. We see ourselves, we see our lives, in his music, and that's the most generous gift an artist can make.

Music By John Williams in now streaming on Disney+