Bonhoeffer (NR)

synopsis

A chronicle which charts the dramatic life story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a young German theologian who offered one of the first clear voices of resistance to Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer openly challenged his Church to stand with the Jews in their time of need, and eventually joined his family in the plots to kill Hitler. His three books, "Cost of Discipleship," "Letters and Papers from Prison," and "Ethics," were all written during the struggle, and are considered classics in the world of religion and ethics. The film, shot on location in Germany and the United States, features interviews with family members, friends, students and associates who knew Bonhoeffer personally--including, the last interview given by Bonhoeffer's closest friend and biographer, Eberhard Bethge. As well, there is an interview with Ruth Alice von Bismarck, the sister of Bonhoeffer's fiancée, Maria von Wedemeyer.