The Nature of Existence
Walking Shadows
Region 0 DVD
Web: http://thenatureofexistence.com
The Nature of Existence
is the documentary of Roger Nygard’s search for
meaning. In this documentary he attempts to find answers to a wide range of
existential questions including why we are here and what the meaning of life is
supposed to be. He begins with a series of basic questions and visits a range
of supposed authorities and put these questions to them. I use the term
supposed because Nygard doesn’t really differentiate
between the respected and the obviously disturbed, the fundamentalist and the
scientific. I do appreciate that he is simply documenting a journey and
allowing everyone to have their say and this is entertaining, educating and
amusing, but at the times the movement from the sublime to the utterly
ridiculous is a bit jarring. He then decides to take his questions around the world
and visits Israel, China and India.
He
focuses in on a range of specific subjects include the nature of existence and
purpose, religion and general spirituality, truth, faith, sin, sexuality,
prayer and so on. The answers provides range from the traditionally religious
through to the scientific and psychological, he also interviews more radical
religious thinkers such as progressive Christians, Peter Gilmore, the leader of
the Church of Satan and various Druids and pagans. It is surprising how narrow
nearly all the Christian and traditional religious sound, regardless of their
traditions. There are over 100 individuals interviews including like Harvard
psychologist Daniel Gilbert (Stumbling on Happiness), film director Irvin Kershner (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back), novelist and
Mormon Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game), and Stonehenge Druids Rollo Maughfling and King Arthur Pendragon.
The
film is fast paced and only gives you a taste of the opinions of each person, this is supplemented by a second DVD with over 110
minutes of bonus material. If this is not enough there is a 7 DVD Companion
series which overs over 14 hours of interviews and materials. The film itself
is so fast paced that you do not really get a sense of what the individual
authorities are explaining nor their developed opinions, I personally think
less people and more intense interviews would have been better but this has
been done in the bonus features and the simply huge Companion Collection.
It
is difficult to know how to respond to this series, it certainly brings
together a large collection of interviews with major figures, religious
(mainstream and alternative) and scientific and gives them free reign to
express their opinions. At the same time I came away somewhat dissatisfied,
there was no real conclusion except a call to feel good tolerance, considering
the risk that religious fundamentalism is posing to the world I do not think we
can simply be blasé about such matters. I believe there is a need to critically
engage with the material presented and while the commentator has a good sense
of humour and some level of wit I did come away wondering what the significance
of the series was. In the end it certainly did not really offer an answer to
the question of The Nature of Existence.
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