Immaculata Alumna Produces “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin.”

Did you know the new movie Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin, which debuts this weekend, was produced by an alum of the Sisters of Providence?

The film’s producer, Camille Kampouris, graduated from Sisters of Providence Immaculata Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. In her lifetime, Camille has appeared in various stage and broadcast productions, from improvisational comedy to advertising voiceovers.

She was also one of Jim Henson’s Muppeteers for 12 years and worked on Sesame Street for 10 seasons. Her most recent adventure has been producing the movie.

After college, Camille moved to New York City to become an actress. Even though her parents were Catholic, and she loved the nuns who taught her in school during her childhood in Rome and in high school, faith did not play an active role in her life when she first arrived.

Acting in New York is highly competitive. As a result, Camille faced a level of rejection that she was not accustomed to. A friend suggested that she take a comedic improv class to build her confidence.

In that class, she met two Christian friends who took her under their wing and helped to rekindle her faith. She began praying, reading the Bible and studying theologians. Learning to hear God’s voice gave Camille confidence, freedom and new opportunities. Her faith played a huge role in bringing Bonhoeffer to fruition.

A Long Road

Producing the film took more than a decade. The journey began in 2010 when Camille read a biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and was inspired by his courage and faith.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a German Lutheran pastor. In 1930, he spent a year studying in New York. He developed a friendship with an African American seminarian and attended with him a Baptist Church in Harlem.

He was astounded by the segregation he witnessed. Concurrently, he was impressed by how people of the church were living out their faith. Bonhoeffer had studied God for the first part of his life. Now, he was experiencing God in a personal and heartfelt way.

He returned to Germany to experience Hitler’s reign, Aryan laws, and segregation of the Jews. He would there put his own faith into action to stand up for what he believed was right.

The ‘Journey’ Begins

Camille and her husband, Emmanuel, decided in 2012 to commission a script and create a motion picture about his life. Camille is a performer, and Emmanuel is a businessman. She was raised Catholic, while Emmanuel’s background is Greek Orthodox and Protestant. She now considers herself ecumenical.

They both speak multiple languages. Camille fell in love with French at Immaculata. Together, they had the skills and talents to produce the film successfully.

Camille hopes that seeing this film will encourage those without faith to seek it out and those with faith to put it into action.

Hopefully, the film will help give people the courage to fight for others who have no voice and start them on the path to seeking God and truth on a deeper level.

Somewhat of a Struggle

The process of making the movie was not without struggle.

For five years, Camille and Emmanuel worked with multiple screenwriters, script doctors, and consultants until they enlisted the help of Todd Komarnicki.

Often, Hollywood will remove the element of faith from a storyline. Many writers are hesitant to work on a World War II project. Todd was comfortable with both and had experience working on films such as Sully and Elf.

He was the perfect person to rewrite the script. By 2019, he had completed that work, and production was set to begin.

Camille and Emmanuel created the company to produce the movie and raise funds. They brought in the investors and legal team necessary to support the work.

Then, just as they were about to start, the world was struck by the COVID-19 pandemic. This halted production for nearly two years.

In the summer of 2021, Todd became the director and a producer of the film, in addition to having written the script. Production resumed.

God led the Way

The movie was filmed entirely on location in Belgium and Ireland. According to Todd, “it is both beautiful and rare to shoot a film entirely on location.”

Filming was completed in a month and a half, and editing took approximately a year. Outstanding crews of talented European and Hollywood craftsmen worked together to make this exceptional film.

As lead producers, Camille and Emmanuel had the final say in casting, filming, and editing. However, according to Camille, God led every step of the way.

When Bonhoeffer was ready for distribution in September 2023, they teamed up with Angel Studios, whose motto is “build a home for stories that amplify light.”

They aim to find films focusing on stories that brighten the world and fulfill the human need for hope and light.

This was a ‘Calling’

Despite the many challenges of making this movie, Camille believed it was a calling. Persevering to complete the film helped her to grow deeper in her faith and has been the most exciting journey she has ever experienced. God intervened on their behalf multiple times.

Camille said, “When it seemed that we had hit a wall and all doors were closed, God would open a window.” She believes the greatest adventure in life is to be “all in for Christ.” As the Bible states, “Whoever loses their life for the sake of Christ will find it.”

Camille said she has always appreciated the awe and reverence the nuns she encountered as a child had for God. That has stayed with her throughout her life. Reading the Bible as an adult, the Word has become more personal and relevant, she said. Keeping her commitment to God and His call makes for the greatest adventure.

Camille encourages those who want to see the movie to do so as soon as possible. Box Office receipts from the first two weekends a film is shown determine whether or not it will remain in the theaters. Each Bonhoeffer ticket purchased acts as a vote to have more faith-filled and family-friendly movies in theaters.

For additional information, check out the official movie trailer or view The Making of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin.