Life is something to be valued, especially before and after it is lost. In many cultures, the peoples’ understanding of life and death are often shown in the mythological aspect of their society. Today’s culture also reflects on the themes of life and death, as seen through the short film "Emi", produced by ESMA, which demonstrates that life is the most important gift by making connections between mythology and key elements of the film.
Early on in the film, the nature of death is defined by Greek mythology. The black cat alludes to Galinthias's story in Greek mythology, and stands as a metaphor of the nature of death. In brief, Galinthias was turned into a black cat as a punishment from Hera, and became a priestess of Hecate, who is the goddess of death and queen of witches; Galinthias also lead souls to the underworld. There is also the common superstition that black cats bring misfortune, and are an omen of death (“Mythology: Cats”). When the cat leads Emi to the boat, it hints at Emi's critical condition of which the audience is not aware yet, and instills an air of doom over the story. The cat carries the message that death acts of its own accord, and will…show more content… In the short film, the butterfly represents Emi's life, at risk of being hunted down by death. This further implies that Emi's physical condition in the real world is critical, and she herself is suspended between life and death. As a butterfly, the soul is fragile, and can be easily killed in its vulnerable state. The black cat demonstrates this by leaping at it, narrowly missing both the butterfly and Emi herself, evoking a sense of fear. It is easy to forget that life is fragile, and can easily be lost in a matter of seconds. As such, its fleeting nature makes life something to be valued and
