Faith Matters

"Truth and Treason" with filmmaker Matt Whitaker

7 snips
Nov 12, 2025
Matt Whitaker, a filmmaker and director known for his WWII films, discusses his latest project, Truth & Treason, which chronicles the brave actions of Helmuth Hübener, a 16-year-old boy in Nazi Germany who challenged propaganda. Whitaker shares the long journey of bringing this story to life, including how he tracked down surviving members of Helmuth's resistance group. He explores complex themes of faith, moral courage, and the importance of speaking truth in dark times, hoping to inspire today's audiences to act with conviction.
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ANECDOTE

Discovery Through A Phone-Book Call

  • Matt Whitaker discovered Helmut Huebner's story after meeting Carl Heinz Schnibbe in 2001 and felt compelled to tell it.
  • He filmed a PBS documentary first, then began early drafts of a feature screenplay from that direct access to witnesses.
ANECDOTE

A 24-Year Journey To Production

  • The film took 24 years from first script draft to production, facing the 2008 crash and COVID setbacks.
  • Whitaker finally filmed in Lithuania in 2024 after partnering with Angel Studios and persistent fundraising.
INSIGHT

Fact-Driven Dramatization

  • Whitaker balanced documentary-sourced facts with dramatized flesh to craft the feature while keeping many verbatim elements.
  • He preserved exact wording from surviving leaflets and even timed the execution scene to match Nazi records.
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