The Death of Socrates

After the sudden death of his mentor Socrates, Crito of Alopece debates suicide.

  • Erynn Mitchell
    Director
  • Erynn Mitchell
    Writer
  • Rafael Maman
    Producer
  • Paul Eiding
    Key Cast
    "Socrates"
    Metal Gear Solid, Diablo, The Transformers, Incredibles 2
  • Agustine Welles
    Key Cast
    "Crito"
  • Xin Wang
    Director of Photography
  • William Bourassa-Bennett
    Composer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Epic, Metaphysical
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 9, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    1,200 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Southern California
  • Colorado Short Circuit Film Festival
    Colorado Springs
    United States
    October 9, 2022
    Woman in Film Award
Director Biography - Erynn Mitchell

With a penchant for Old Hollywood, multi-hyphenate Erynn Mitchell is dedicated to recapturing the classic era of cinema in a way that is relevant to her modern lens. She is a proud first-generation Latina originally from Colorado. Erynn attends USC School of Cinematic Arts for her MFA in film/tv production. At USC she wrote and directed the short, 'The Death of Socrates.' It played in multiple film festivals across the country and in locations like the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.

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Director Statement

The Death of Socrates began as a metaphysical story of grief. What I found in my exploration of this philosopher is that reality can truly create mythology. The difference between mythology and reality is more of a gradient than a line and working in that liminal space brought deep reflection on my own perception of the world. Socrates was a fascinating historical character to explore. He was a man with no true philosophical ideology aside from the deep nature of questioning leading to the vivisection of the self. In this film we have Socrates represented not as his true self but through the eyes of his mentee, Crito. What was important for me in this short was the celebrate perception and embrace the beauty that comes with it. The film is a medley of theatrical, filmic, and fine art references that seek to weave a tapestry of an individual as they debate their ultimate demise. This film was made in my film MFA program at USC School of Cinematic Arts. Much love, and I hope you enjoy.