Riefenstahl

Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century. Her films Triumph of the Will and Olympia perfectly embody the stylized worship of the cult of the body and the celebration of superiority and victory. At the same time, these images express contempt for the imperfect and the weak. The aesthetic perception that Riefenstahl codified is more widespread today than ever - but does this also apply to the underlying message of her images? The film explores this question through documents from Riefenstahl's estate, including private films, photographs, letters and recordings. It reveals fragments of her life and places them in a broader historical context. How did Riefenstahl rise to her position as the Reich's leading filmmaker while steadfastly denying any close ties to Hitler and Goebbels? In personal documents, she laments her "murdered ideals". Director Andres Veiel's film reflects the mood of many post-war Germans who - based on letters and recorded phone calls from the director's estate - yearn for an authoritative figure to restore order to this "fucked-up state". They believe that this revival could also bring about a renaissance of Leni Riefenstahl's work - an assumption that could become a reality within a generation or two. What if they are right?