Filmmaker and Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl is one of the most contentious figures of the 20th century. Her films “Triumph of the Will” (1935) and “Olympia” (1938) defined fascist aesthetics: perfectly staged body worship, and the celebration of all that is “superior” and victorious, simultaneously projecting contempt for the “imperfect” and “weak.”
Riefenstahl, who first broke into the German film industry as an actress, was part of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels’ inner circle and her films were used in direct service of the Nazis’ genocidal regime. Yet, after the war, she spent decades 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”? Director Andres Veiel confronts this spurious claim, peeling back the layers of denial and manipulation that Riefenstahl carefully constructed around her legacy through the use of never-before-seen documents from Riefenstahl’s estate, including 700 boxes of her personal archives, private films, photos, recordings and letters.
During her long life after the fall of Nazism, she remained unapologetic, managing to control and shape her legacy. In personal documents, she mourns her “murdered ideals.” Meanwhile, her work experienced a renaissance, gaining esteem for its masterful technical skill.
Today, Riefenstahl’s aesthetics are more present than ever. 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 Riefenstahl is more relevant than ever.
Directed by Andres Veiel, Germany, 2024, 115 minutes, German with English subtitles. Winner of the Cinema & Arts Award at the Venice Film Festival. New England premiere.
Join us for a virtual Q&A with director Andres Veiel.
Co-presented with Goethe-Institut Boston New Films from Germany.
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