Imagine having every mystery of human existence finally answered.
That’s what former Minnesota native and Hollywood film producer Roger Nygard says he can do with his new documentary, “The Nature of Existence.”

Through four years of traveling the world and 170 in-depth interviews with prominent religious leaders, Nygard has collected the world’s opinions on why humans exist and what our purpose is in life. “The Nature of Existence” has toured 20 cities throughout the summer, and the grand finale screening will take place in Minneapolis with the Twin Cities Film Festival on Oct. 1 and a screening at Parkway Theater on Oct. 2. Nygard will be in attendance to answer questions about the film and his experiences. The film will continue to be shown at the Parkway Theater for the remainder of that week.

So…why do we exist?

Nygard says that his films are first and foremost to make him laugh and be entertaining, but also to be a challenge and teach him something new. His hope is simply that the audience can experience what he experienced in the making of the film.

“I’ve been called a closet anthropologist because I’m fascinated by human behavior,” Nygard said. “My films are portraits not of individuals, but of cultures and subcultures of humanity.”

In his latest film, Nygard interviewed Daoists, Confucianists, Jainists, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Anglicans, Native Americans, Satanists, Atheists, and others, explaining that he learned something from each interview that challenged his ways of thinking.“Sometimes I warn people that they shouldn’t see the movie because it messes with your mind a little bit,” he said. “But if your mind is already messy, then you’ll be fine. If everything is neatly stacked and you’re working really hard to keep everything that way, you might get jostled a bit.”

So what is the answer to the nature of existence? Nygard says it’s right there in the movie.“I find answers in the journey,” he said. “You don’t ever want to ‘arrive’ because then it’s done and you get off the stage. You want to stay on the journey your whole life.” From what he collected in his research, Nygard discovered that happiness is a false goal. Instead, happiness is a byproduct of having purpose in life, so the real question is, “What is your purpose and how do you find it?”

Nygard also concluded that on a basic level, people want to be accepted by their social group, they want to love and be loved, and they want to make just enough money to take care of themselves and their family.“The better I began to understand why people believe what they believe, the less I was afraid of the differences between me and people in other cultures,” he said. “I started to realize that they’re not the others. They have the same needs and desires as I do or anybody else does.” Filmmaker at the age of seven After discovering his father’s 8mm camera when he was seven years old, Nygard began a lifetime hobby of shooting movies. He grew up in Long Lake and graduated from Orono High School in 1980, saying that at the time, “It was literally a high school surrounded by corn fields.” He then attended the University of Minnesota for his Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Communications. “When I graduated from the University of Minnesota, I packed up my little Celica and drove it over the mountains to California, and I’ve worked out here ever since,” he said. “I looked at it as a big adventure, and it’s an adventure that’s ongoing.” Today, Nygard is a professional director, editor, screenwriter, and producer in Los Angeles.

Nygard’s first feature movie was “High Strung,” which featured Steve Oedekerk, Fred Willard, Denise Crosby, Kirsten Dunst and Jim Carrey. It wasn’t long before he developed a reputation for working on “quirky” projects such as “Trekkies,” which followed Star Trek enthusiasts and attempted to understand their behaviors and fascination with the popular sci-fi series. He did a similar documentary about UFO enthusiasts called “Six Days in Roswell.” “I think life is absurd – I’ve always thought that,” he said. “You have to laugh or you go insane.” Never one to let his to-do list get fully crossed off, Nygard continues to find projects to keep him busy. He has directed or edited for television series such as The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Bernie Mac Show and others, along with numerous commercials.

He credits his success in the industry to his parents, who encouraged him no matter what it was he wanted to pursue. “Any kid in Minnesota can grow up and make a movie or do whatever you want,” he said. “From a little town in Minneapolis to the most sacred mountain in China, I’ve been all over the place and I highly recommend it.

Jennie Olson
Sun Newspapers
Published: Thursday, September 16, 2010

What would you do if you could go anywhere in the world, and ask anyone you wanted any question you wanted? How about all the questions you wanted? Yes, even “the big questions.”

Well, that’s exactly what filmmaker Roger Nygard (maker of the acclaimed documentary “Trekkies”) did. For 4 whole years.

For 4 years, he went around the world, asking hundreds of people the toughest 85 questions he could think of, all about the purpose and nature of existence.

What kinds of people, you ask? Everyone from his neighbor’s 7th grade daughter to Buddhist monks, Confucian scholars, a 24th generation taoist master, an Orthodox Jewish lesbian, a Magus of the Church of Satan, the arch-druid of Stonehenge (I’m not kidding!), Catholic and Anglican Bishops, the director of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, a guy actually named King Arthur Pendragon (again, not kidding), string theorists and particle physicists from Stanford and Oxford, psychology professors, an ex-Scientologist, atheist evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, a university-campus Evangelist, the pastor of a Texas gay mega-church, Baptist preachers, spiritual gurus, an Iranian taxi driver, a chef, an imam, science fiction authors, poets, Native American spiritual leaders, an alien channeler, and a Christian Wrestling Minister (who plans to have perfect abs in Heaven). And a Hasidic Rabbi in East Jerusalem, of course.

The result is this movie.

THE QUESTIONS include such doozies as:

• Why do we exist and what are we supposed to do about it?
• What started the Universe and was it a mistake?
• Does God exist and why does he seem so interested in our sex lives?

The film essentially features 2 stories — one is the story of Minnesota-boy Roger, going around the world, looking for answers (and interesting people willing to talk to this friendly American about their place in the universe). The other is the story of what they actually tell him. These side-by-side glimpses into the world views of all these very different people, from so many very different places and faiths, is nothing short of fascinating. And somehow, rather positive and uplifting. And at times, quite amusing, as well.

All this adds up to a movie that’s surprisingly light, surprisingly funny, and yet very thoughtful, and thought-provoking. You’ll leave with a smile on your face, but it’ll be a thoughtful smile, a late-night-discussion-over-drinks smile.  The filmmaker is not pushing any point of view on you — he just lays out his journey, and leaves the rest up to you. If you loved that comparative-religions class in college, or if you’re just interested in what other people might be thinking, and like to have a few laughs along the way — this film is for you!

I should probably mention that at the screening I attended, the filmmaker himself told the audience that

“you probably should not see this movie, because it will mess with your mind a little bit.”

I guess I must enjoy having my mind messed with. Apparently, so do a whole lot of other people, as more than 70% of the audience stayed for the Q&A session after (this is one movie made for Q&A sessions!)

Some of my favorite quotes from the film include:

Religion is the banana skin

In a certain sense, we do not exist (from a physicist)

God is into unique methods

Masturbation is promiscuity, but always with a perfect partner

I suppose a total idiot can be happy

And the film’s final (and highly appropriate) words:
“Unless we’re wrong”

If you still need further convincing, the film’s co-producer is a guy named Paul Tarantino. He says he’s no relation, but any film made by a Tarantino has got to be good, right?

The preview trailer, plus several clips from the film — arranged by subject (including drag racing, aliens, and premarital sex) - are available here, if you’d like to check them out.

The movie is playing this week — through Thursday, October 7th — at The Parkway Theater — 4814 Chicago Ave S. in Minneapolis.

Showtimes are:

• Saturday, 10/2:  2:00 - 4:20 - 6:40 - 9:00
• Sunday, 10/3: 1:40 - 3:30 - 5:20 - 7:10 - 9:00
• Monday, 10/4, through Thursday, 10/7: 5:20 - 7:10 - 9:00

The film will also be available on DVD on November 23d.

Final note: if you go, stay to the end of the credits. It’s worth it.

JENNA MITELMAN
TCJewFolk.com
http://tcjewfolk.com/sages-opine-nature-existence/

Roger Nygard’s head was filled with existential angst prior to embarking on his four-year odyssey directing his new documentary, The Nature of Existence. But the Orono, Minnesota, native knew that by traveling the world with a camera and asking life’s greatest philosophical questions of a diverse group of people from a variety of spiritual disciplines, he could not only earn himself a little peace of mind but also pull together an intriguing kaleidoscope of human beliefs suitable for the big screen.

“I decided to make a list of the 85 toughest questions I could think of,” Nygard says, “starting with the biggest one of all, Why do we exist? I gave them to over a hundred spiritual leaders, scholars, scientists, gurus, even atheists, all over the world. I asked, What is man’s purpose? What is truth? What is the best way to find happiness? Is there an afterlife? And so on.”

The answers form the building blocks of Nygard’s documentary, opening Saturday at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. It’s the last release in a series of openings Nygard has staged across the country. All showings on Saturday will be followed by a question-and-answer session, which Nygard has been routinely offering since first bringing his documentary to film festivals over a year ago.

He says these Q-and-A sessions have proven to be as controversial and diverse as the film itself.

“I tend to look at this film as a comedy, because I think life is ultimately rather absurd,” Nygard says. “I honestly think if we couldn’t laugh at it, we’d all go insane. But I’ve had people get quite angry with me after seeing this film. I’ve had people become real sad or start crying. I’ve had people pressuring me to choose a ‘winner’ from the various views presented, or questioning why ‘their side’ wasn’t better represented.”

Nygard says he has warned people before viewing the documentary that, depending on where they’re coming from, “the film could mess them up.”

“At one release we had a woman stand up after the film was over and tell the audience she had recently completed her last chemotherapy session and that throughout her cancer treatments she had this strong belief system that she had clung to for support. She was in tears as she said that this film had just shaken the foundations of all she’d been hanging onto.”

Nygard says he’s come to see the film as a Rorschach test for audiences. What they see in the film tends to say more about their own lives, he says, than it does about the perspectives conveyed. “Some people come to this film hoping their view will win out. When it doesn’t, they feel quite threatened.”

Although Nygard says he never intended his efforts to deliver any definitive cosmic truth, he believes clues can be found throughout the film that direct people to answers as important and meaningful as any that are out there.

For his part, he says, he actually found much of the peace of mind he’d been searching for, though perhaps not exactly what he’d expected to discover when first embarking on the journey.

“For me, the thing that gradually became clear was that the universe was created, we don’t know by whom, or by what, but this creation unfolded, and continues to unfold, and we’re all obviously a part of that. Our sense of contentment is derived from participating in it. Our joy seems to come from jumping into the flow of that creation, not doing the opposite, which is destroying, and not being a bystander either. Whether we’re designing a garden or a dance or a poem or bringing a new baby into the world, we’re aligning ourselves with the great vibe of this universe, and happiness is the byproduct of that—the byproduct of immersing ourselves in our purpose, which is to share in creation.”

What Nygard says he took from some 450 hours of film footage may not be what others take from the 93-minute final product he presents, but he says all will end up encountering a wondrous world of beliefs as varied and sundry as the flora and fauna of the planet itself, and they’ll have several surprising laughs in the process.

As is human nature, however, Nygard says those laughs will tend to come when the “other person’s views” are being discussed.

“If you arrive at this film with entrenched perspectives,” Nygard says, “it might not be as entertaining. You’re probably going to walk away a little less comfortable.”

By TD Mischke Wednesday, Sep 29 2010
http://www.citypages.com/2010-09-29/news/knocking-on-heaven-s-door/

“It may seem simplistic, but I came away from The Nature of Existence with a renewed compassion for spiritual and religious people.”
GodlessGirl.com

Read the FULL REVIEW

A Documentary of Cosmic Stuff

Interview by:  Gordon K. Smith

Although he has made narrative features, writer/producer/director Roger Nygard has a special knack for investigating the world of belief systems and how they rule human behavior. His earlier documentaries TREKKIES (1997), TREKKIES 2 (2004) and SIX DAYS IN ROSWELL (1998) showed us folks obsessed to varying degrees with TV and movie aliens and the supposedly real ones who crash-landed in rural New Mexico in 1947. Nygard has returned to that territory with a new film that travels around the world in search of truths about God, love, the afterlife, and THE NATURE OF EXISTENCE.

Weighing in on this are everyone from confrontational evangelists to Vatican officials to eastern mystics, eggheads and Christian wrestlers in Georgia who perform a Passion Play complete with body slams.  NATURE is also about Nygard’s own journey, literal and spiritual, in search of answers in an increasingly polarized world.  A most affable tour guide through spiritual diversity, Nygard met with us at the Angelika Theater in Dallas while the film screened on the floor above us.

UTM:  There’s two films here, one about “the nature of existence”, and one about you making  this film.

Nygard:  It didn’t start off that way. I took on a partner about a year and a half into the process (co-producer Paul Tarantino), and he suggested, after I was struggling with how to tell the story, maybe you should put yourself in the film. I bought a second camera, and he came along, filming me doing the filming…my composer, Billy Sullivan, did some camera work also. We took turns. Another producer, Laurel Barrett, who’s Dallas- based, she went with me to India and Italy.

Nygard started his quest with massive e-mail inquiries to scientists, clergy, celebrities, and religious leaders around the world.

Nygard: …a high percentage replied, but some emails, I got no response. I put a call into Oxford to the office of (British scientist and religion critic) Richard Dawkins. ‘I’m looking for Richard Dawkins’. ‘This is he’. Wow! And he set up an appointment. Sometimes it was that lucky.

UTM:  How about Stephen Hawking, the famous physicist?

Nygard:  There is a deleted scene on the website about my visit to Stephen Hawking. And the reason I took it out of the film, even though I really liked it, is that it was similar to the Pope (who ultimately refused audience with the filmmaker). I got there, and he said no. He just sent down his assistant who said, ‘he decided not to do the interview. He’s just tired of the God question.’ He must get that a lot. Stephen! Tell us about God! (laughs).

UTM: He’s the go-to God guy.

Nygard. Right…I have a process I call the three R’s: Research — books, stuff on the Internet. Before I went to China, I researched who the leading expert was on Confucianism. Then during interviews, more often than not, people would say, ‘you need to interview so and so’ — and so referrals, and then just random chance, knocking on doors.

UTM:  Which one led you to Irvin Kershner (film director most famous for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK)?

Nygard:  Irvin Kershner was a referral. One of my five producers is Mohit Ranchandani. He produces horror films in Hollywood and he knew Irvin. And he knew Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (the Holy Man in the Indian segment).

UTM: That’s a real dichotomy of people.

Nygard: (Kershner) was one of the best. The older the better, they’ll tell you just how they feel, because they don’t care anymore what people think.

UTM: How about the Billy Graham camp?

Nygard: I tried the high profile televangelists. Since they have their own platform, this didn’t offer them much. They’ve got a camera already.

UTM: Do you think actors or other celebs just didn’t want to get nailed down to a religious opinion on camera?

Nygard: Some won’t, others perfectly happy to. If you’ve got an image to protect, and that’s how you make your living, I can understand that…if Tiger Woods had just said, ‘Hey, so what?’, he’d have gotten a lot more respect than doing the fake apology tour. But he has an image to protect, so he did the tour. Same with a belief system.

At that point we were joined by the Dalllas co-producer, Laurel Barrett.

Nygard: Laurel and I met at the (Dallas) USA Film Festival in 1991. She was working at the fest, I was screening my first movie, we’ve been friends ever since. Once she heard this topic she said, ‘I want to get involved. I’m coming with you to Italy and India’.

Barrett I had some things going on in my life and I woke up one morning and said ‘I have to go. I have to get back to these spiritual grounds’…we just got out a map and started looking a interesting places.

UTM:  Is that how you connected with the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas?

Nygard: I think the first person who told me was Ann Alexander, when I came back here for the film festival (in 2007, as a judge). I always bring my camera to utilize existing travel opportunities…and I said, ‘so what do you have in Dallas that is unique and interesting, that would work in this what’s-the-point-of-everything documentary. They said, well, we got the biggest gay church in the world. I said, ‘Stop right there’. Knocked on the door, ‘Who’s in charge here?’ Reverend Jo Hudson answered, and let us film two services.

UTM: One of the few actual sermons seen in the film. Did a lot of churches refuse to let you shoot actual services?

Nygard: Not a lot told such an interesting story. I happened to film on the day she told her deepest, most painful story, about being kicked out of the seminary because she was gay…that’s cinematic, when someone is spilling their guts like that, so it’s partly just luck.

UTM: On the other end of that spectrum is Brother Jed Smock. I thought I’d heard every theory possible about the “causes” of homosexuality until he brought up masturbation.

Nygard: He’s very entertaining, he knows how to get attention, and he’s been doing it for 35 years. I had seen him during my senior year in college (1984, University of Minnesota). I shot a little mini-doc of him at the time, and used it in my film now.

UTM:  We see him now preaching at the University of Florida. He gets around.

Nygard: I couldn’t believe he’s still doing it 30 years later. He goes all over the country on college campuses.

UTM: Does he ever get thrown off?

Nygard: They can’t if it’s a public campus. Private schools can. He knows his law.

UTM: On your website you’re posing with him. Grudging admiration?

Nygard: You wouldn’t think he’d be a person you’d be interested in hanging out with because he’s off-putting to most people. But that’s his stage persona, offstage we sit around and have a conversation. He has beliefs that differ from mine to a great degree, but the whole point of the film, and he’s no exception, was to meet people whom I didn’t understand why they think that way. Once I got to know people, I was no longer so angry or afraid of them. So I made friends with Brother Jed, with Muslims in Mumbai, and with witches in Serbia*, which didn’t make the cut…to love someone you give them your full attention. I didn’t go to tell them “you’re wrong”, I went to listen and learn about them…I started out very angry at people.

How could people fly planes into buildings, or blow up abortion clinics because of something they believe so strongly, whereas I’m over here and believe the opposite.4 We can’t both be right, so who’s right? How do we find truth? And if your litmus test is whose belief is the strongest, they win! I can’t believe anything strong enough to drive my car into something and blow it up. I can barely commit to buying a new car…so going from anger, to getting to know people, becoming much less afraid of who they are, what they believe, and arriving at a place of peace and acceptance of others. Mark Twain said the way to overcome bigotry is to travel. And they learn about you, too.

UTM: It’s said in the movie that you were born Episcopalian. Is there any one word that describes your belief system now?

Nygard: Uh, ‘Open to any good argument’.

“The film is not heavy-handed by any stretch of the imagination — as the humorous encounters Nygard has with the local cuisines and other enjoyable sidebars would attest — and it is as fair and impartial as the medium allows. One never gets a true sense of Nygard’s own ideas on the subject he’s exploring, but it’s clear he doesn’t approach the task in jest. And that dynamic precludes the extreme stuffiness that could easily accompany such a project.”
Sam Ogden, Skepchick.org

Full Review

CHECK OUT The Nature of Existence
Q&A with Director Roger Nygard Sat July 31, 2010

Palm Springs, CA
July 30 – August 5, 2010
Camelot Theater
2300 East Baristo Road
Palm Springs, CA 92262
info: (760) 325-6565
tickets: http://www.camelottheatres.com/
showtimes: 12:00pm 2:30pm 5:00pm 7:30pm

Roger Nygard ponders the most basic—yet most difficult—concepts of life in ‘The Nature of Existence’

Roger Nygard ponders the most basic—yet most difficult—concepts of life in ‘The Nature of Existence’
July 1, 2010
By: Blase DiStefano

Why do we exist? “To figure out why I exist” and “Nonexistence has nothing to recommend it” are only two of the many, diverse answers from subjects interviewed by director Roger Nygard in his new documentary, The Nature of Existence. Other questions about religion, science, God, faith, truth, scripture, and morality are posed to religious leaders, renowned scientists, comedians, and many others.

The 48-year-old Nygard, probably best known for Trekkies (a feature-length doc about Star Trek fans), also directs, writes, and edits for television series, including The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm. So you know he’s got a sense of humor, which is evident in both his new film and this OutSmart interview.

Blase DiStefano: Let’s start off with something simple, not like the questions you ask in the film! Of all the places you traveled, which one was the most interesting, and why?

Roger Nygard: India was hard to top. The whole country is like one big holy site. My shoes were off more than they were on. Tip to India travelers: bring flip-flops. Every direction you look is a photogenic tableau. The place that gave me chills up my spine though was Stonehenge. Maybe because it’s so ancient—it’s over 5,000 years old! Seeing those iconic stones in person was surreal.

Of all the people you interviewed, whose answers seemed to resonate with you most? The answers that resonated most for me were from anybody who I felt was honestly seeking truth, wherever it may lead—because that’s how I felt about my journey. I could listen to the particle physicists and string theorists for hours, yet it seemed like minutes.

But old people are the best! They will tell you the way it is, they don’t censor themselves, they don’t give a shit what people think about them.

In answer to your question “What is the definition of God?” evangelist David Miller said, “God is love. I think when we have found love, we have found God.” He was wearing a button that showed a circle with the word homo in it and a line crossed through the word. What was going through your mind while he was spouting off?

I immediately had the feeling that he might be gay. That moment reminded me of a quote from Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: “We always condemn most in others, that which we most fear in ourselves.” How many times do those who most loudly condemn others have to be found guilty of doing that which they condemn before a pattern emerges?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says in the movie, “Happiness is discovering your true nature.” That struck me as brilliant in its simplicity. Once a person discovers who they are, and they begin living in concert with their true nature, they will be much happier. If you live your life trying to reach a goal set for you by others, by society, by organized religion, or whatever, if that goal isn’t in concert with who you are, you will live a life frustrated and unhappy. If God didn’t want people to be gay, why would he make some people whose hearts are drawn to others of their own gender? Can we choose how we feel? I don’t think we can choose who we fall in love with.

Since God is not male or female, did anyone say that they refer to God as “it”? What was the most common answer to that question? Far more people referred to a patriarchal god.

The goddess is currently out of favor, but [feminine deities were common] in many ancient societies.

As for the most common answer, what was most common was a lack of agreement. Mahatma Gandhi said, “There are as many religions as there are individuals.” Similarly, there are probably as many definitions of God as there are people. Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson (l) speaks to the congregation at the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, “the biggest gay church in the world.”

In the film there is a string of answers where people define God as: nature, love, the answer, omnipotent, everywhere, everything…. If something is everything, then it’s also nothing. Einstein borrowed Spinoza’s definition, saying that God is the laws of the Universe. I think God is the word we use to refer to our desire to be connected to something greater than ourselves.

Tell me about visiting the LGBT church in Dallas.

The Cathedral of Hope is a haven for the nonjudgmental. I love that attitude! I also love what Canon Coy James told me: “I think that it’s the biggest gay church in the world because God has a sense of humor. Texas is a very conservative state. But I think it’s also because that’s where it’s needed the most.”

I was so lucky to be there for a service when Rev. Dr. Jo Hudson told a heartfelt story about when she was in the seminary and somebody accused her of being a lesbian. With her entire future career at stake, she had to make a choice. Would she be true to her heart, or would she choose to live a lie?

What do you think of Brother Jed Smock? Did you see anyone who agreed with what he was saying?

Brother Jed Smock calls himself a confrontational evangelist. He knows how to get attention. He’s very entertaining. He’s a master at his craft. Many people believe Jed’s message. At the end of the day, there are always a few who stay to genuinely listen to him. One student told me, “I do believe most of what he’s saying, and I have to admit in my head I am ridiculing him at the same time because of how radical he is.”

What do you think of Ultimate Christian Wrestling?

They were really nice people—when they weren’t bashing heads in the ring. You have to see their show to believe it. It’s certainly one of the “jaw on the floor” moments in the film.

It may seem weird to hear me say this if you’ve seen all the people in the movie, but there’s nobody in it that I dislike. I like people. I may disagree with many of them. But one lesson I learned is that when it comes to beliefs, we are never all going to agree. Never. But our only hope is if we get to know each other. The more I traveled while making this movie, the more I learned about other people and other cultures and other beliefs. I didn’t necessarily have to change my beliefs; I just learned why people believe other things. As Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”

Were you able to ask the pope any of the questions? If not, why not?

It’s not easy to see the pope. I don’t want to give out any spoilers about my interaction with the pope before people see the film, but I did get within six feet of the pope and have a moment with him.

What was the best part of making this film?

Taking a journey with no idea where it would lead me. It’s exciting and scary at the same time. I never knew who I would meet next. And the food! One reason I exist is to sample culinary delights all over the world.

What was the worst part?

Traveler’s diarrhea. I had the worst chicken fried rice ever in China. Note to travelers: if you see the chef rinse the chicken in the river, you probably shouldn’t eat it. I also had the best BBQ chicken ever at the Holy Smoke BBQ in Huntsville, Texas.  The best and the worst chicken, both in the same movie.

The inevitable question: are you in a relationship? If yes, the inevitable second question would be: with a man or woman? If no, the inevitable second question would be: do you date men, women, or both, or neither? This is getting complicated. Shit, are you gay?

[Laughs] I’m straight. I’m single. Never been married. Wait a minute, what’s wrong with that picture?

I am mystified by marriage and relationships, and in looking for a subject to tackle next, I realized that “The Nature of Marriage” is even more inexplicable to me—more of a challenge than the very nature of existence itself. Check back for all the answers to that one in a couple years….

Ending with The Big Ones: two of the questions you ask in the film are “Why do we exist?” and “Is there a God?” When you ask yourself these questions, what are your answers?

We exist for many reasons. Here’s one purpose: to create and to share your creation with others. Create something today…a painting, a dance, a short story, a dress, a garden, a recipe, a new skateboard trick, whatever moves you…. When people have nothing to contribute to society, when they are not creating and expressing themselves, they get depressed. As Julia Sweeney told me, “Happiness isn’t a goal, it’s a byproduct of having a purpose in life.” For many people, the default is to create another human. That sort of creation will keep you busy for a couple of decades. Then you can get back to painting again.

To find God, I think we have to examine the very fabric of existence. An atom is 99.999999 percent empty space. We are made of atoms that are made of mostly nothing, but still we exist, we are conscious, and part of being conscious is to yearn for a purpose greater than simply reproducing our genes. It’s in that space between the mostly nothing and our self-aware existence that we look for more—something intangible—and, for lack of a better definition, we may call it soul, or spirit, or life force, or simply consciousness. Is there one religion or philosophy that best represents that intangibility? Maybe, or maybe not. Science is the one approach that has the ability to actually look in that space. What will we find in microscopic bursts of energy as we collide proton beams? I don’t know, but it sure is exciting to be alive when it’s happening…

http://outsmartmagazine.com/2010/07/director-roger-nygard-ponders-the-most-basic-yet-most-difficult-concepts-of-life-in-%E2%80%98the-nature-of-existence%E2%80%99/

Sunday, July 18th 7:30pm
Movies on a Big Screen

Sacramento don’t miss your chance to see The Nature of Existence