Some might think that every story about WWII has already been told, but few people may know the name Dietrich Bonhoeffer, even though there have been multiple movies and docs made about the German pastor who fought back about Adolf Hitler’s abuse of the church to help bring his Third Reich to power ahead of World War II.
Filmmaker Todd Komarnicki, who wrote Clint Eastwood’s Sully, starring Tom Hanks, thinks that’s the case, which is why he has written and directed Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin, a new look at the German pastor, this time played by Jonas Dassler (The Golden Glove). The film follows Dietrich from childhood through his trip to Harlem where he discovers jazz and how religion is taught in the black churches to his return to Germany and learning that Adolf Hitler was using the church to convince Germans to praise his leadership even above Jesus. It’s a daunting film to watch after the most recent Presidential Election, and an unknown future of what the President-Elect might do if allowed to wield unlimited power.
Cinema Daily US had a chance to speak with Komarnicki about his desire to tell this story, casting Dassler and the surprise casting of Flula Borg in a dramatic role, recreating WWII era during modern times and more. You can hear what the filmmaker had to say in the video interview above.
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Writer/Director: Todd Komarnicki
Cast: Jonas Dassler, August Diehl, Moritz Bleibtreu, Nadine Heidenreich, David Jonsson, Flula Borg, Lisa Hofer, William Robinson
Producer: Todd Komarnicki, Camille Kampouris, Emmanuel Kampouris, John B. Scanlon, Mark O’Sullivan
Production Co: Crow’s Nest Productions, Fontana, In Plain Sight Group, Guy Walks into a Bar Productions
Distributor: Angel Studios
Rating: PG-13 (Violent Content|Thematic Elements|Some Smoking)
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): November 22, 2024
Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes
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You can watch the trailer below: