With unfettered access to Leni Reifenstahl’s personal archive, documentarian Andres Veiel delivers an extraordinarily discerning portrait of the infamous filmmaker that allows audiences to draw their own conclusions.
Extraordinary deep-dive documentary about the original cancelled artist.
Riefenstahl 2024
Leni Riefenstahl lived a controversial life, existing as both a trailblazing female filmmaker and a key part of the Nazi propaganda machine. She directed the notorious paean to Nazism, Triumph of the Will, and the documentary ode to athletic prowess, Olympia – while despised for their content, they are still studied in film schools around the world to this day for their innovative technique. Following the war, she downplayed any connections with Hitler and Goebbels and denied any knowledge of the Third Reich’s atrocities.
When Riefenstahl died, she left behind a huge archive covering every aspect of her life. Director Andres Veiel delves into these archives and copious other footage from a life lived in the limelight, in an to attempt to set the record straight on her legacy. Riefenstahl doesn’t just give us a glimpse of its main subject, it also looks at the times she lived through. Like a chameleon, she changes her stories to suit. Through archival footage, we get these same stories firsthand and through letters sent during the Nazi regime, we see these stories torn apart. The result is a fascinating overview of a tainted legacy. — Jordan Salomen