Grace Cathedral, San Francisco

Martin Doblmeier’s critically acclaimed documentary BONHOEFFER will be screened one night only at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco’s landmark cathedral on Nob Hill – February 15, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.

The complete film will be shown on Wednesday, February 15 at 7:00 p.m. Following the screening, the director will speak about the film and answer questions from the audience. Representatives of HarperSanFrancisco will be on hand to display the newly released “A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer,” a volume of collected works. An edited one-hour version of the 90-minute film airs on some PBS stations February 6, 2006 at 10pm, but not locally.

This screening is the only chance for people in the Bay Area to see the complete film.

The film tells the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the young German theologian who offered one of the first clear voices of resistance to Adolf Hitler and the rise of the Nazis. Bonhoeffer challenged his church to stand with the Jews in their time of need and eventually became part of the resistance movement and the plots to kill Hitler.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was born February 4, 1906, was executed by the Nazis for his role in a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler only weeks before the end of World War II, at the age of 39. Yet during that short life, Bonhoeffer wrote many seminal books on theology and ethics, including Life Together (also available from HarperSanFrancisco), among others. These works continue to exert a significant influence on Christian theology in the United States and around the world.
The film, BONHOEFFER is produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, who has produced more than twenty public television films on faith and spirituality. He is currently in post-production on SCHWEITZER, scheduled to air on the Hallmark Channel in early 2006, and is in production on three other films: POWER OF FORGIVENESS, CATHEDRAL TODAY, and the upcoming 4-part series CATHOLICS IN AMERICA.

BONHOEFFER mixes extraordinary archival footage of Bonhoeffer’s years in both Germany and New York, where he studied at Union Theological Seminary and was profoundly influenced by the faith and fervor he witnessed at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church. Also included are interviews with friends, family, students of Bonhoeffer and leading theologians.
HarperSanFrancisco’s “A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Daily Meditations from His Letters, Writings, and Sermons” showcases his writings, letters, and sermons in a daily devotional format, encouraging and deepening readers' reflections and meditations.

Tickets for the screening are $10 at the door.

Grace Cathedral is located atop Nob Hill in San Francisco at 1100 California Street, at Taylor Street.