Riefenstahl

Filmmaker and Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century. Her films “Triumph of the Will” and “Olympia” are defined by their fascist aesthetics, perfectly-staged body worship, and the celebration of all that is “superior” and victorious, simultaneously projecting contempt for the imperfect and weak. But Riefenstahl spent decades after the war denying her association with Nazi ideology, and claiming ignorance of the Holocaust. How did she become the Reich’s preeminent filmmaker if she was just a hired hand? Riefenstahl examines this question uncovering documents from her estate, including private films, photos, recordings and letters, revealing fragments of her biography and placing them in an extended historical context. Today, Riefenstahl’s aesthetics are more present than ever. Is that also true for their message? In an era where fascism is on the rise again, fake news is prevalent, and the meaning of political imagery is constantly dissected and debated, Andres Veiel’s mesmerizing new film shows that Leni Reifenstahl is more relevant than ever.