The Nature of Existence

"Every mystery of human existence…explained in one movie!" touts the jewel-box cover. Hardly, but Nygard certainly asks lots of questions—ranging from monotheism to afterlife to why have children—in this documentary, which took years and cost a fortune to produce. Nygard (Trekkies) travels the world interviewing a few scholars and perhaps too many nonscholars, including a neighbor's child, on these weighty topics. The cover also identifies the program as comedy/spiritual documentary, which is accurate. The film is divided into more than 60 chapters, and the snippet formula easily bounces from person to person and place to place. Light, with a comic bent and a twinge of sarcasm, the program is unlikely to convert anyone to another faith tradition, but it should provoke discussion as well as provide an introduction to a far-flung array of philosophical thought. There is nothing original in the material here; the program's artistry is in its direction, for which Nygard is known. The two-disc special edition simply includes a second disc of longer interviews. Priced for any budget, this presentation is recommended for most libraries.—Diane Kazlauskas, formerly with Univ. of North Florida Lib., Jacksonville