Leni Riefenstahl

Overview

Known for
Acting
Gender
Other
Birthday
Aug 22, 1902 (122 years old)
Death date
Sep 08, 2003

Leni Riefenstahl

Known For

Leni Riefenstahl - The End of a Myth
0h 53m
Movie 2020

Leni Riefenstahl - The End of a Myth

Countless people around the world know the pictures from Leni Riefenstahl's films, even if they have not seen them in their entirety. The work of the German director has burned itself into the collective memory. Even decades after the end of the Nazi era, she showed no remorse and presented herself as an apolitical, naive follower of the Nazi criminal regime. Her artistic service for the cinema was always recognized. But book author Nina Gladitz shows after decades of research that Hitler's favorite filmmaker was not only a follower, but also a perpetrator during the Third Reich, who instrumentalized other filmmakers such as the brilliant cinematographer Willy Zielke in order to gain fame for herself.

Hitler's Hollywood
1h 40m
Movie 2017

Hitler's Hollywood

Film journalist and critic Rüdiger Suchsland examines German cinema from 1933, when the Nazis came into power, until 1945, when the Third Reich collapsed. (A sequel to From Caligari to Hitler, 2015.)

Speer und er: Nachspiel - Die Täuschung
1h 30m
Movie 2005

Speer und er: Nachspiel - Die Täuschung

Documentary continuing Breloer's exploration of Speer's life, focusing on the post-Spandau years.

Leni Riefenstahl: Her Dream of Africa
0h 59m
Movie 2003

Leni Riefenstahl: Her Dream of Africa

At the age of 97 Riefenstahl returns to Sudan for one final farewell to the Nuba that she lived with for 8 months and photographed and filmed extensively. Müller documents her return after 23 years away and her reaction to the collapsing culture that she once celebrated so avidly in her photographs.

Underwater Impressions
0h 45m
Movie 2002

Underwater Impressions

Riefenstahl explores the undersea world of coral reefs in various oceans around the world. Soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder.

The Immoderation of Me - Sandra Maischberger meets Leni Riefenstahl
1h 0m
Movie 2002

The Immoderation of Me - Sandra Maischberger meets Leni Riefenstahl

An interview with infamous German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl carried out by Sandra Maischberger in preparation for the subject's 100th birthday, and the release of not only her final film, but her first film in 48 years.

From Stag Beetle to Swastika
1h 18m
Movie 2002

From Stag Beetle to Swastika

From Stag Beetle to Swastika narrates in a richly detailed, associative montage the boundless possibilities of manipulating images and using images to seduce.

Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co
Movie 2000

Kino kolossal - Herkules, Maciste & Co

Birth of a Nation
1h 25m
Movie 1997

Birth of a Nation

Filmmaker Jonas Mekas films 160 underground film people over four decades.

Biography

Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will), made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party. Riefenstahl's prominence in the Third Reich along with her personal friendship with Adolf Hitler thwarted her film career following Germany's defeat in World War II, after which she was arrested but released without any charges. Triumph of the Will gave Riefenstahl instant and lasting international fame, as well as infamy. Although she directed only eight films, just two of which received significant coverage outside of Germany, Riefenstahl was widely known all her life. The propaganda value of her films made during the 1930s repels most modern commentators but many film histories cite the aesthetics as outstanding. The Economist wrote that Triumph of the Will "sealed her reputation as the greatest female filmmaker of the 20th century". In the 1970s Riefenstahl published her still photography of the Nuba tribes in Sudan in several books such as The Last of the Nuba. She was active up until her death and also published marine life stills and released the marine-based film Impressionen unter Wasser in 2002. After her death, the Associated Press described Riefenstahl as an "acclaimed pioneer of film and photographic techniques". Der Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin noted, "Leni Riefenstahl conquered new ground in the cinema". The BBC said her documentaries "were hailed as groundbreaking film-making, pioneering techniques involving cranes, tracking rails, and many cameras working at the same time". Description above from the Wikipedia article Leni Riefenstahl, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

By browsing this website, you accept our cookies policy.