Riefenstahl will arrive in UK and Irish cinemas on May 9.
Director Andres Veiel’s award-winning documentary Riefenstahl is a compelling and critical portrait of the life of the infamous artist, filmmaker and propagandist. The film premiered to widespread critical acclaim at the Venice Film Festival, winning the Cinema & Arts Award, and has continued to screen at a variety of other international festivals, including Telluride. Riefenstahl is set to be released in UK and Irish cinemas on May 9 through Dogwoof.
Filmmaker and Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century. Her films Triumph of the Will and Olympia are defined by their fascist aesthetics, perfectly staged body worship and the celebration of all that is “superior” and victorious, simultaneously projecting contempt for the imperfect and weak. But Riefenstahl – who first broke into the German film industry as an actress – spent decades after the war denying her association with Nazi ideology and claiming ignorance of the Holocaust. How did she become the Reich’s preeminent filmmaker if she was just a hired hand?
Riefenstahl examines this question using never-before-seen materials from Leni Riefenstahl’s estate, including private films, photos, recordings and letters, uncovering fragments of her biography and placing them in an extended historical context. During her long life after the fall of Nazism, she remained unapologetic, managing to control and shape her legacy; in personal documents, she mourns her “murdered ideals.” Meanwhile, her work would experience a renaissance, gaining esteem for its masterful technical skill.
Today, Riefenstahl’s aesthetics are more present than ever. Is that also true for their message? In an era where fascism is on the rise again, fake news is prevalent, and the meaning of political imagery is constantly dissected and debated, Andres Veiel’s mesmerising film shows that Leni Riefenstahl is more relevant than ever. As the 70th anniversary of World War II’s end approaches in 2025, the film’s exploration of Riefenstahl’s legacy resonates strongly amid ongoing reflection on the war’s impact and the role of propaganda in contemporary politics.
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