Culled from an array of archival footage, on-location shooting, dramatic narration, and interviews with family, friends, and historians, the documentary Bonhoeffer strives to recreate the life of the theologian who openly railed against Hitler's growing stronghold on Germany and beyond in the years leading up to World War II. A devout Christian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer organized the Confessing Church in the early '30s, urging his following to join forces with the Jews in fighting the Third Reich. Bonhoeffer's efforts reached their zenith when he and others mounted assassination attempts on the Führer. Klaus Maria Brandauer gives voice to many of Bonhoeffer's writings, and Desmond Tutu and John de Gruchy are among the film's interviewees. After being rejected from the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, Bonhoeffer was screened at local churches in and around Park City, attracting attention from distributors, and eventually, a limited U.S. release in the summer of 2003.
