First Trailer for 'Riefenstahl' Doc About Filmmaker's Nazi Connection

"Doesn't an artist have a special responsibility?" Madman Films in Australia has unveiled an official trailer for a documentary film titled Riefenstahl, yes indeed a look back at the controversial and iconic German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. This premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival that year and earned great reviews at this fest, before playing at many others including at Zurich & Stockholm. A real, meaningful doc. The film explores Leni Riefenstahl's artistic legacy and her complex ties to the Nazi regime, juxtaposing her self-portrayal with evidence suggesting awareness of the regime's atrocities. "A captivating insight into the private estate of Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will but kept denying any closer ties to the regime." The doc asks: How could Riefenstahl rise to become the Reich’s leading filmmaker while persistently denying any close ties to Hitler and Goebbels? It turns out that maybe she really was a Nazi, despite her denials, or at least looked the other way when her "friend" Hitler ruled over the Third Reich for years. I saw this in Venice (here's my review) and it's pretty clear this doc is to show us yep - she was […]

Mar 31, 2025 - 20:22

First Trailer for 'Riefenstahl' Doc About Filmmaker's Nazi Connection

"Doesn't an artist have a special responsibility?" Madman Films in Australia has unveiled an official trailer for a documentary film titled Riefenstahl, yes indeed a look back at the controversial and iconic German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. This premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival that year and earned great reviews at this fest, before playing at many others including at Zurich & Stockholm. A real, meaningful doc. The film explores Leni Riefenstahl's artistic legacy and her complex ties to the Nazi regime, juxtaposing her self-portrayal with evidence suggesting awareness of the regime's atrocities. "A captivating insight into the private estate of Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will but kept denying any closer ties to the regime." The doc asks: How could Riefenstahl rise to become the Reich’s leading filmmaker while persistently denying any close ties to Hitler and Goebbels? It turns out that maybe she really was a Nazi, despite her denials, or at least looked the other way when her "friend" Hitler ruled over the Third Reich for years. I saw this in Venice (here's my review) and it's pretty clear this doc is to show us yep - she was a Nazi, but was also a brilliant filmmaker. Both, unfortunately, can be (and are) true. // Continue Reading ›