The Shocking Truth Is Revealed About Hitler’s Go-To Filmmaker
VENICE, Italy—Few filmmakers have the notoriety of Leni Riefenstahl. After breaking out with The Blue Light in 1932, her filmmaking prowess drew the attention of the Third Reich. Impressed by Riefenstahl’s impressive aesthetic capabilities, Adolf Hitler commissioned her to direct a short called The Victory of Faith. This led to 1935’s The Triumph of the Will, the single most notorious propaganda film ever made. The film, a documentary about a Nazi party rally, featured innovative techniques and potent imagery. But more importantly, it cast Hitler as a heroic figure, and the film played a vital role in bolstering his reputation in Germany and beyond.
Living to an extraordinary 101, Riefenstahl spent the majority of her life fighting with the press in her steadfast refusal to accept complicity in helping with the Nazi war effort. She underwent bitter fights with journalists on what, to her, felt like a daily basis, constantly refuting that she had anything to do with the war effort. She was simply a gun for hire. She had no idea what the Nazis were doing, nor what they were capable of.
Directed by Andres Veiel, Riefenstahl, which just premiered at the Venice Film Festival, explores the life of Germany’s most controversial filmmaker, accessing her immense archive to create both a considerable portrait of Riefenstahl’s pre- and post-war life, as well as her involvement and impact in the Nazi efforts.