12/30
Includes Bijeli pakao Piz Palüa (1929)
Line of Events
Explores the artistic legacy of Leni Riefenstahl and her complex relationship with the Nazi regime, juxtaposing her self-portrait with evidence suggesting her awareness of the regime’s atrocities. An illuminating documentary by Andres VEIEL, who once again deals with the infamous director Leni RIEFENSTAHL (1902 – 2003), who achieved great success during the Nazi era. German director Andres VEIEL has already presented extraordinary documentaries such as BLACK BOX BRD (2002) and BEUYS (2016). At the suggestion of TV presenter Sandra MAISCHBERGER, who interviewed Leni RIEFENSTAHL on her 100th birthday, he has once again dealt with the life of the controversial director.
VEIEL has little to add to MÜLLER’s findings
He has managed to create a moving film, which is nevertheless largely based on Ray MÜLLER’s film LENI RIEFENSTAHL: DIE MACHT DER BILDER. The German director Ray MÜLLER had already released his film with an interview with RIEFENSTAHL in 1993 and even won an INTERNATIONAL EMMY AWARD for it. In the interview with Ray MÜLLER, RIEFENSTAHL revealed herself as a hot-headed artist of repression who used everything from crying and flirting to malicious aggression to deny her responsibility. In Germany, the film was shown in 1993 on the then very ambitious private news channel VOX.
This woman always knew exactly what she was doing and what she was not doing
However, he now has photos from the RIEFENSTAHL estate that further deepen the findings already obtained in 1993. Her involvement in the murder of Jewish extras in Poland shortly after the outbreak of World War II becomes very clear. On the other hand, the photos from RIEFENSTAHL’s photographic expeditions to the Nuba warrior tribe in Sudan are unintentionally comic. The director poses with the tribe’s children next to Persil (detergent) cartons and Kaba (cocoa powder) cans to advertise her generous sponsors.
Nothing in her entire life was left to chance
The film VEIEL deserves recognition because it presents the psychological profile of the repressive imitator of the criminal activities of the Third Reich in RIEFENSTAHL. This woman was able to tell her own lies at all costs until she internalized them as the truth. Such people are very modern again and that is why a film like RIEFENSTAHL is needed! DIE MACHT DER BILDER (1993) by Ray MÜLLER should not be forgotten under any circumstances.