The entire Lantos Foundation team is deeply saddened by the passing of Concord filmmaker John Gfroerer, who worked closely with the Foundation for 15 years – since its inception. John used his talents as a filmmaker and storyteller to create beautiful, impactful videos about both the Lantos Human Rights Prize laureates and other important human rights causes.

John and his daughter Brinkley at the 2021 Lantos Human Rights Prize ceremony at the Library of Congress.

Through his videos, John brought to life the stories of people as diverse as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, former Israeli President Shimon Peres, the real-life hero of Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Uyghur leader and activist Rebiya Kadeer, Yezidi parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, then-Vice President Joe Biden, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, and more. He also helped the Foundation shine a powerful spotlight on the plight of political prisoners like Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia and Mikhail Khodorkovksy in Russia.

John and his camera were constant fixtures at Lantos Foundation events in both New Hampshire and Washington, DC. The video record of the Foundation’s first 15 years exists thanks primarily to John’s videography skills and his commitment to helping document the Foundation’s key moments from its earliest days.

In recent years, John also served as a distinguished member of the judging panel for the Activist Artist Scholarship competition. He brought his experience and insight as a filmmaker to the task of awarding tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to talented young artists and essayists from across the state of New Hampshire. Though John was soft-spoken and modest, his input was always perceptive and highly valued by his fellow judges.

“Over the course of our long and close association with John, he truly became an integral part of the Lantos Foundation team,” said Lantos Foundation President Katrina Lantos Swett. “John brought more than his skill as a filmmaker to our projects and activities. He brought a true commitment to the ideals and human rights values that form the backbone of our mission at the Lantos Foundation. In John, we found much more than a videographer or even a gifted filmmaker. We found a friend, an avid supporter of our causes, and a kindred spirit who shared our deep belief in the human rights and dignity of all people. He will be missed in more ways that I can number, and it will truly be impossible to ever replace him.”

John was not the only member of his family to have an impact on the Lantos Foundation. His life partner Lisa Brown, a former news and documentary producer, has used her talents and skills to support the Lantos Foundation on many projects over the years. Their daughter Brinkley Brown, who volunteered alongside her parents at many of our Lantos Human Rights Prize ceremonies, was also a dedicated intern in 2017. At this time, the Lantos Foundation sends our deepest condolences to the family, but also our assurances that John’s memory will always live on through the films he created and the impact he had in his local community and beyond.

Visit the Lantos Foundation YouTube channel to see more of John’s work over the years.