Nick Zedd

Writer/Actor/Director

Zedd is an artist known for his underground filmmaking. From an interview with Alexander Laurence in Querty Arts...

AL: What sort of spirituality are you interested in and does this influence your work? Do you have any thoughts on Christianity?

NZ: It's great that Christianity is falling apart. I'm surprised that so many born again Christians are invading Manhattan. These are people who claim to be creative but mentally they are not too creative, especially if they believe in God. I don't believe in God. I'm an atheist. I think that religion is really stupid. It's a sign of weakness.

AL: Do you think that secular humanism is a step in the right direction?

NZ: Yes. That means that man is the center of one's universe, instead of a higher authority or an unseen humanoid deity. That belief in higher intelligence dictating one's existence, or being there to bail you out after you die is really a form of cowardice that I don't respect. It's intellectually weak. I am surprised that there are so many people in the "so called" at scene in Manhattan that fall for this. There are a lot of weak people I guess. New York City is the center of the world to them, so they figure that they can leech off other people's ideas, or become part of the art scene. There are a lot of fraudulent people who zero in on the East Village and Manhattan in general. They're not threatening the status quo. They're just opportunists looking for some of the limelight. They are not offering us anything new, especially if they're going to church on Sunday.

AL: Is it necessary to have some belief system to live?

NZ: No. Belief is not necessary. You live your life and you do things. God is not a necessary concept either. God is dead. I thought people knew this. Nietzsche pointed this out. But I'm shocked that there are people who are ignorant enough to think that Nietzsche has something to do with Hitler. He has nothing to do with Hitler. That's what the powers that be did to denigrate and demonize Nietzsche, because his ideas are revolutionary. Nietzsche hated nationalism and militarism. He's the exact opposite of Hitler who used these things to enslave millions of people and caused the Holocaust. Anyone with a brain who reads Nietzsche will see the truth.