Bonhoeffer Documentary Toured American Colleges
Filmmaker Hellmut Schlingensiepen is showcasing a new documentary on Dietrich Bonhoeffer to U.S. university audiences.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Documentary
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Filmmaker Hellmut Schlingensiepen has begun a tour of American colleges to present his documentary, The Cloud of Witnesses: Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Harlem 1930/31. The project aims to provide a more accurate historical portrait of the theologian who was executed at the Flossenbürg concentration camp.
Why it matters
The documentary seeks to reframe public understanding of Dietrich Bonhoeffer by focusing on his time in Harlem, a period often overshadowed by his later work. Schlingensiepen is currently engaging with universities to secure an American distributor for the film.
The production of the documentary spanned approximately 10 years to reach completion. It incorporates scholarly interviews and is based on the book Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethic of Resistance by Reggie Williams.
The players
Hellmut Schlingensiepen
He is the filmmaker who produced the documentary about Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Reggie Williams
He is the author of the book Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethic of Resistance which served as the basis for the film.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
He was a German theologian and anti-Nazi dissident who was executed at the Flossenbürg concentration camp.
The details
Schlingensiepen presents the film on campuses to foster academic discussion while searching for a formal U.S. distribution partner. The documentary draws heavily from Reggie Williams' research to explore Bonhoeffer's formative experiences during his 1930 and 1931 visits to Harlem.
Timeline
Dietrich Bonhoeffer visited Harlem in 1930/31.
The documentary was screened at Washburn University on October 11, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The film follows the trend of adapting niche academic research into documentary features to reach broader collegiate audiences. This production directly expands upon the findings in Reggie Williams' book Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance Theology and an Ethic of Resistance.
Students and faculty at institutions like DePaul University and Augsburg University will have the opportunity to view the film during the filmmaker's scheduled campus visits. Wider public access depends on the successful acquisition of the film by an American distributor.
The takeaway
The documentary provides a unique look at how Bonhoeffer's exposure to Harlem influenced his theological perspective. Readers interested in historical documentaries should monitor upcoming university film schedules to catch future screenings of the film.
Further reading
For more information on the evolving landscape of non-fiction filmmaking, see our Documentary section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Topeka Capital-Journal.
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