Prof. Sorich’s Documentary Spotlights Life and Legacy of René Girard

Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard was released online on December 25, 2024. The feature length documentary was produced, directed, filmed, and edited by Sam Sorich, an award-winning filmmaker who joined JPCatholic’s faculty last year. The film has been made available for free on YouTube by the non-profit Imitatio.

René Girard (1923-2015) was a French thinker, historian, and author whose academic contributions included philosophical anthropology, literary criticism, mythology, theology, and sociology. Through archival footage and interviews with scholars and personalities such as Bishop Barron, Cynthia Haven, Peter Robinson, and Peter Thiel, along with Girard’s own wife and son, Sorich offers a deeply personal examination of Girard’s life and an accessible introduction to his theories on mimetic desire and scapegoating. The film also features Girard’s conversion to Catholicism, and the impact it had on his philosophical contributions.

Prof. Sam Sorich is the founder of Glass Darkly Films. After studying philosophy as an undergraduate, Sorich worked as an editor and camera operator at Salt and Light Television in Toronto. He then returned to Chicago as a freelancer working closely with Spirit Juice Studios for many years. In 2017, following the first Catholic Creatives Summit, he created and co-executive produced 8beats, an anthology series comprising eight short films inspired by the Beatitudes.

Sorich’s engagement with the thought of René Girard began in college, during a time when he was deconstructing his faith and grappling with whether to embrace Christianity or dismiss it as just another myth. “If Christianity could not demonstrate its uniqueness among other religions—many of which claim a miracle-working, dying, and rising figure at their center—then it seemed to me a mere copycat religion, unworthy of belief,” he said. “From the outset, my goal for this film has been evangelical. Girard was a voice that took challenges to Christianity seriously and answered them convincingly. He offers an unexpected and compelling perspective on why Christianity is true, one that resonates with a modern, skeptical audience.”

Driven by his encounters with Girard’s works, Sorich began developing a documentary in 2016, embarking on a cross-country odyssey in his van to interview key figures in the philosopher’s sphere. A few years later he attracted a variety of funders including Imitatio, an organization dedicated to spreading the works of Girard. The non-profit was co-founded by entrepreneur Peter Thiel, who attended Girard’s lectures during his time at Stanford.

Imitatio’s support has enabled the film to be widely and freely available for all. “Girard’s theories remain relatively unknown, and I hope this film will serve as a catalyst for others to discover his groundbreaking insights,” said Sorich.

Now a professor at John Paul the Great Catholic University, Sorich will be teaching courses on documentary filmmaking as well as Girard’s mimetic theory. In addition, his forthcoming documentary on the life of Henri de Lubac, executive produced by Ignatius Press, is expected to release in 2026.

Watch Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard