The documentary "Riefenstahl," directed by Andres Veiel, offers a comprehensive examination of the life and work of Leni Riefenstahl, a filmmaker closely associated with the Nazi regime. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August 2024, where it received the Cinema & Arts Award. It delves into Riefenstahl's complex relationship with Adolf Hitler's government, utilizing extensive archival materials from her estate. Riefenstahl, renowned for her technically innovative propaganda films such as "Triumph of the Will" (1935) and "Olympia" (1938), was a close associate of Hitler, who commissioned her to create films that visually represented the power and grandeur of the Third Reich. These films, while celebrated for their groundbreaking cinematic techniques, are now widely recognized as potent instruments of Nazi propaganda.
The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation acquired Riefenstahl's comprehensive archives in 2016, which include home movies, personal correspondence, and scripts, providing a rich source for Veiel's analysis. The documentary confronts Riefenstahl's persistent claims of ignorance regarding Nazi atrocities, juxtaposing her statements with archival evidence and interviews. One segment highlights an exchange with Elfriede Kretschmer, an anti-Nazi activist, who expressed skepticism about Riefenstahl's alleged unawareness of the regime's crimes. Further complicating her narrative, the film addresses Riefenstahl's potential involvement in the deaths of Jewish civilians. While Riefenstahl recounted witnessing an execution in Poland, evidence suggests her words might have been interpreted as an order to fire upon Jewish workers.
Veiel's film advocates for continued educational access to Riefenstahl's work, acknowledging the lasting influence of her cinematic techniques on subsequent filmmakers. He draws parallels between Riefenstahl's methods of propaganda and contemporary divisive political rhetoric, positioning the documentary as a cautionary reflection for today's society. The film's meticulous research and access to Riefenstahl's personal estate, containing 700 boxes of materials, allow for a re-evaluation of her life and complicity, challenging her long-held narrative of artistic detachment from political events.
The documentary suggests that Riefenstahl, even in her later years, continued to meticulously craft her public image and legacy, a practice Veiel describes as a form of "gaslighting 101." Despite Riefenstahl's attempts to distance herself from the Nazi regime after World War II, including never expressing remorse or admitting guilt, the examination of her estate has brought forth new insights. The film posits that Riefenstahl was a "prototype of fascism," and that her visual worlds, focused on triumph and perfection, resonate with contemporary trends of celebrating strength and dominance. The legacy of Riefenstahl's work, particularly its technical innovations, continues to be debated, with some critics noting that her techniques were not entirely novel but rather executed on a grander scale due to substantial funding.