Product Details

• Actors: Orson Scott Card, Richard Dawkins, Irvin Kershner, Larry Niven, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
• Directors: Roger Nygard
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Walking Shadows
• DVD Release Date: November 23, 2010
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002RH3DK8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,230 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Nature of Existence" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: Channel Sources Dist Release Date: 12/14/2010 Run time: 94 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Lacks cohesion and direction, adds nothing to the ongoing debate., March 13, 2011

By 

Nicholas Soucy (Lansing, Mi United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Nature of Existence (DVD)

Despite the host being terribly boring, this is still a mildly interesting documentary, but only because it would be hard for this subject matter to not elicit one or two intriguing opinions. However, there was no reason to talk to the "folk artist" about his broken tractor and alligators. Nor do I think the Christian wrestler or the drag racer serve any purpose other than showing some people apply their faith in strange and prosaic ways. These kinds of interviews don't add to the discussion about the nature of existence; they are simply short biographies on people who believe things without giving any good reason to believe them.

If I made a documentary about global warming, I wouldn't include an interview of a farmer who just says, "I'm a farmer and global warming is true." It's irrelevant. In the same vein, filming your obviously-coached neighbor's 7th-grade daughter makes your film seem amateurish and cheesy.

Then there's the goofy man "Aha" who answers "Where do the voices in our head (like our conscience) come from"? with: "From the place where the birds make their sound." Aha is an unkempt, obese, "awakened being" who has several props like a crystal cane, an ankh cross, bead necklace and tarot cards. The filmmaker speaks briefly to scientists like Dawkins and Susskind and skeptic Dr. Shermer but most of the conversations are either with spiritual figures or complete laypersons who give one-liners and there's often no follow-up question to elaborate on what their platitudes mean. E.g., "Truth is what the Torah says." Gee, that's profound.

My biggest criticism of film making in this style is that too often, directors try to cram in dozens of interviews instead of having a few good ones. When someone says something like "Electrons don't really exist," the filmmaker should ask for deeper explanation. Otherwise, it's like saying "Parthenogenesis is possible," and then moving on to another question. I think it's better to watch a debate online between, say, Hitchens and David Wolpe or Sam Harris and Deepak Chopra, because at least there is an opportunity to elaborate on claims with deeper explanation.

Overall, this documentary does not add anything original or particularly memorable to the conversation about the nature of existence. This filmmaker's final statement is something akin to "No one knows anything for sure about existence, but learning is fun and we should keep trying to figure out why we're all here."

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars eye-opening and uplifting, March 28, 2011

By 

curt2thepoint - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nature of Existence (DVD)

This was an eye-opening, uplifting film. And despite the polarizing and controversial topic, it was surprisingly lighthearted and dare I say fun. I think this is because the director made it personal. You feel like you're on a road trip with him, just sitting down and chatting with a bunch of people that are really interesting (and some quite bizarre). Frankly, I'm amazed at the openness and honesty of the interviewees. Nygard must have a real knack for making people feel comfortable and unthreatened. Also, I was impressed by the balanced portrayal of all religions, with no trace of agenda or mockery. This is a film that can build bridges and open dialogue between people of varying viewpoints.

15 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, Uplifting...and Hilarious!, January 28, 2010

By 

S. in Los Angeles "Avid Bio Reader" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nature of Existence (DVD)

I never thought I could learn about spirituality...and laugh at the same time!! This movie is fabulous! I was lucky enough to see it in one of the Film Festivals and everyone in the audience seemed to agree. Director Roger Nygard saves the viewer a lifetime of searching by visiting the most compelling and quirky spiritual philosophers on the planet. It is quite a journey and well worth seeing.