Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century as an artist and a Nazi propagandist. Her films Triumph of the Will and Olympia stand for perfectly staged body worship and the celebration of the superior and victorious. At the same time, these images project contempt for the imperfect and weak. Riefenstahl’s aesthetics are more present than ever today – but is that also true for their implied message?
The film examines this question using documents from Riefenstahl’s estate, including private films, photos, recordings and letters. It uncovers fragments of her biography and places them in an extended historical context. How could Riefenstahl become the Reich’s preeminent filmmaker and keep denying any closer ties to Hitler and Goebbels?
★★★★★ “Extraordinary”
– The Guardian
★★★★ “Masterful”
– The Times