RIEFENSTAHL

On Adolf Hitler’s personal recommendation, the then-unknown filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl was given the task of making propaganda films for the Nazi Party. The result, Triumph of the Will, was acclaimed worldwide and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. However, as well-known as the film’s success is, so too are the controversies surrounding the director herself. Riefenstahl had a lasting impact on cinema but also became a symbol of how film can be exploited for political purposes. In later years, she became infamous for insisting on her own innocence—an assertion that has been met with both criticism and fascination.

Filmmaker Andreas Veiel weaves together interviews and Riefenstahl’s own narratives into a film that presents a complex portrait of the controversial director.