Selected television and film productions
2006
BONHOEFFER is broadcast nationally on PBS on February 6, 2006.
A 60-minute version of the original documentary film on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and Nazi resistor who joined the plots to kill Adolf Hitler. He was executed by the Nazis only weeks before the end of World War II, at the age of 39. Bonhoeffer challenged this church to stand with the Jews in their time of need.
2006
ALBERT SCHWEITZER: CALLED TO AFRICA completed for the Hallmark Channel. Produced in association with Lightworks Producing Group for Faith and Values Media. No broadcast date has been determined yet.
Portrays the life of the Nobel Peace Prize winner of 1952 through the eyes of compassion for Africa. A docudrama scripted and casted and filmed on location in Strasbourg, France and Lambarene, Gabon, Africa.
2004
The Wilbur Award is given to BONHOEFFER as best documentary film
The Gabriel Award is given to BONHOEFFER as best documentary film
2003
BONHOEFFER is released nationally to theaters in the US and Australia.
The original 90-minute version drew the following critical reviews:
The New York Times: "a touching narrative on the nature of faith."
The Los Angeles Times: "a heroic odyssey illuminated with admirable clarity in Martin Doblmeier’s outstanding documentary.
USA Today: "elegant and well told, well worth seeking out."
Dallas Morning News: "Powerful and timely."
Minneapolis Star Tribune: "An inspiring portrait of one of the great moral heroes of the 20th Century.
2002
AMERICAN BYZANTINE is released to national public television as a presentation of 13 NET, New York. Tells the story of the building of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC and its connection to America in the 20th Century.
2001
CHURCH WITHOUT BORDERS is aired by ABC television.
Documentary on lay missionaries in Chile and Boston who, in a growing tide of globalization, treat the Americas as one, united place. Stories from a small Arizona parish and missionaries working both sides of the US-Mexican border offer a fuller understanding of the demands of that vision.
1999
AUTHOR OF REFORM: THE CARDINAL SUENENS STORY is released to national public television.
A documentary on the unsung religious figure who organized the movement towards progressive reforms during the Second Vatican Council. Thought to be the chosen successor of Pope Paul VI, Suenens instead eventually found himself at odds with the pope and the church he loved.
Church Magazine: "Few documentaries on Catholicism are as well conceived and professionally produced as this one."
US Conference of Catholic Bishops: "Engrossing documentary."
America: "Superior religious programming."
The Gabriel Award is given to AUTHOR OF REFORM as best documentary film.
1998
BERNARDIN is released to national public television as a presentation of 13-NET, New York.
A documentary recounting the public response of Chicago's late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin to a false accusation of sexual abuse and a losing battle with cancer, and the Cardinal's honest witness in dealing with these crises under the glare of the national media. Produced by Journey/Frost, Family Theater Productions, and Santa Fe Communications.
New York Daily News: "Beautifully produced."
The Gabriel Award is given to BERNARDIN as best documentary film.
1997
FINAL BLESSING airs on NBC (and, in 2002 on national public television).
A one-hour documentary that profiles caregivers who have dedicated their energies to helping the terminally ill find peace in their last days. Patients and loved ones share stories that are both heart-wrenching and uplifting.
The Washington Post: "An unusual but upbeat program."
Certificate of Merit for the Gabriel Award and the CINE Golden Eagle are awarded to FINAL BLESSING.
1995
THOMAS JEFFERSON: A View from the Mountain is released on public television nationwide (and rebroadcast on public television and The History Channel many times since).
A presentation of WCVE, Richmond, the film is a two-hour exploration of Thomas Jefferson and his legacy on race and slavery in America. The film explores Jefferson's paradoxical relationship with slavery. He owned many slaves yet he believed Blacks deserved an equal position in society. Separating fact from myth is not easy and in many ways the film is a story that tears at the heart of America.
The New York Times: "This is a thoughtful, visually prettified... look at Jefferson's life, ideas and career."
Los Angeles Times: Martin Doblmeier's two-hour 'Thomas Jefferson: A view from he Mountain' loses sight of nothing."
USA Today: "Elegant and well told. Worth seeking out."
Associated Press: "scrupulously researched and carefully balanced."
The Worldfest Houston Gold Award is given to THOMAS JEFFERSON: A View from the Mountain.
1991
GROUNDS FOR PEACE is presented on national public television by South Carolina Educational TV.
A one-hour documentary profiling Corrymeala, a community of Catholics and Protestants dedicated to bringing peace, healing and reconciliation to Northern Ireland. The film focuses on an extended visit of Catholic and Protestant students from segregated high schools. Although they find no solution at the end of their week, the students gained new perspectives about the "other side." Simply bringing people from this segregated community together for a week was a victory.
Los Angeles Times: "The film gracefully documents followers of nonviolence meeting and sharing their often tragic pasts."
Christianity & Crisis: "Grounds for Peace is an intelligent view of spiritual people working towards peace in the face of the most extreme odds."
America Magazine: "The strife in Northern Ireland has been the subject of numerous documentaries. Mr. Doblmeier's holds the viewer's attention by stirring in an arresting mixture of ironic facts and language."
The Ohio Film Festival Award is given to GROUNDS FOR PEACE.
1986
TAIZE: THAT LITTLE SPRINGTIME airs on national public television.
A half-hour documentary about the international, ecumenical community of monks in France. Their goal is to live a life of faith and understanding that sets an example for what is possible.
America: "Producer Martin Doblmeier photographs landscapes from just the right angles and faces at just the right moments."
Religion Teacher's Journal: TAIZE: THAT LITTLE SPRINGTIME is like a visual poem."
The Cine Golden Eagle is awarded to TAIZE: THAT LITTLE SPRINGTIME.
1985
THE HEART HAS ITS REASONS airs on national public television as a presentation of South Carolina Educational TV.
A one-hour documentary about the L'Arche community of France and its work with the mental handicapped.
Christian Science Monitor: "Probably the most unique little film you will see this year... it tells an unforgettable tale.
