Riefenstahl Riefenstahl Riefenstahl

Riefenstahl

Germany | 2024 | 116 min

Language: German, English, French

Subtitles: English

Suitable for audiences aged 7 and above


Director(s): Andres Veiel

Script: Andres Veiel

Cast: Leni Riefenstahl

Production: Vincent Productions

Distribution: Edge Entertainment


Documentary


Film History History War Abuse True Story Society Artists Biopic


Letterboxd

Screenings:

Directed by German filmmaker Andres Veiel, Riefenstahl is a probing and controversial portrait of one of the most disputed figures in film history—Leni Riefenstahl. The documentary draws from Riefenstahl’s extensive personal archive, which includes thousands of letters, diaries, photographs, recordings, and private film excerpts.

Veiel forgoes a simple chronological narrative, instead crafting a multi-layered story where Riefenstahl’s self-image is contrasted with documented reality. The film explores her artistic talent and her collaboration with Nazi Germany’s propaganda machine. Although Riefenstahl claimed ignorance of the Holocaust and distanced herself from Hitler’s ideology after the war, the documentary presents material that invites alternative interpretations.

Veiel’s approach is not moralizing but analytical, leaving the audience to form their own judgments.

Timo Kuismin