Director of ‘Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin,’ Formerly an Atheist, Hopes Film Inspires ‘Bravery’

November 25, 2024

The highly anticipated film “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin” was released over the weekend and director Todd Komarnicki is sharing the reasons why he brought Bonhoeffer’s story to the silver screen.

In an interview with Church Leaders, Komarnicki, who was once an atheist, explains that he “set out to make a spiritual thriller, not a period piece.”

Komarnicki described the ways he felt God inspired him to make the film a “page turner” because of the profound example of the man whose story the film portrays.

Komarnicki said, “It’s a garden of Gethsemane movie, where the person at the very edge of fulfilling his destiny is asked, first from within and then from without, what if this cup passed from me? And that’s the kind of faith I found inside of the Bonhoeffer that I met.”

The director of such films as “Elf” and “Sully” said that Bonhoeffer’s story inspires him to follow Christ more boldly, saying, “What do we find to be true,” he said, “is that the things that are the most difficult hold all the rewards. And I always say about my life that the worst things that ever happened to me were the best things that ever happened to me.”

Komarnicki hopes those who view the film, especially Christians, will come away inspired to be more brave in living like Jesus Christ, saying, “Bravery is a supernatural gift. In these situations, we have to stay connected to the Holy Spirit, we have to request it, and we have to lean on it.”

Photo: top, Credit: Angel Studios