Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century, both as an artist and a Nazi propagandist. Her films Triumph of the Will and Olympia are known for their meticulously staged glorification of physical perfection and the celebration of superiority and victory. Simultaneously, these images convey contempt for the imperfect and weak. Riefenstahl's aesthetics are more present than ever today—but does the same apply to their underlying message?
This film explores that question, using documents from Riefenstahl's personal archive, including private films, photographs, recordings, and letters. It uncovers fragments of her life story and situates them within a broader historical context. How could Riefenstahl become the Third Reich's preeminent filmmaker and keep denying any closer ties to Hitler and Goebbels?
Filmography: Beuys (2017), If Not Us, Who? (2011).
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