Riefenstahl

• Date: 30 April
• label.tijd Afhankelijk van de dag
• Location: Filmhuis Den Haag

A penetrating portrait of Leni Riefenstahl, in which art, politics, and moral responsibility converge.

As an artist and filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl (1902–2003) is considered one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century. Famous for her Nazi propaganda films Triumph of the Will and Olympia, she is seen as a visionary, but also as a woman who placed herself at the service of a disastrous ideology. Riefenstahl herself saw things differently: despite her connection to Hitler and Goebbels, she systematically denied any close ties to Nazism after the war. She had merely seized an opportunity to use her talents. But how could Riefenstahl become the most prominent filmmaker of the Third Reich and continue to claim that she knew nothing about the war crimes?

Riefenstahl is a penetrating and layered portrait of the woman behind the filmmaker who continued to try to justify her past until her death. With exclusive access to her personal archives—some 700 boxes full of photos, letters, private films, and other documents—director Andres Veiel reveals new perspectives on Riefenstahl's involvement with Nazism. In addition to the complexity of Riefenstahl as a person, Veiel's documentary explores the ethical boundaries of cinema and invites the audience to reflect on art and politics. Riefenstahl premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Premio Cinema e Arte.

“Feels thematically eerily topical” - VPRO Cinema (★★★★)

'Extensive documentation' - de Volkskrant (★★★★)

'Impressive documentary' - Trouw (★★★★)

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