Leni Riefenstahl was a pioneering filmmaker and the most significant propagandist of National Socialism. She provided Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels with stylistic grandeur. Riefenstahl transformed them into icons. Her footage of the Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg in "Triumph of the Will" and the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin in "Olympia" remain etched in collective memory to this day. In doing so, she created a heroic epic for the Nazis. The American philosopher Susan Sontag coined for this phenomenon the term "fascist aesthetics."
Films, advertising, music videos, and photographers worldwide have drawn inspiration from her style, influencing everything from "Star Wars" to Calvin Klein underwear ads. Leni Riefenstahl remains a highly controversial figure: What is the responsibility of the artist? What should art do? A new film titled "Leni Riefenstahl," directed by award-winning German filmmaker Andres Veiel, makes the case that art cannot exist independently of political and social circumstances. Despite her attempts after World War II to distance herself from her actions during the Nazi era — more specifically, to deny them — she never expressed remorse or admitted guilt, nor has she acknowledged or understood the devastating impact of her work. Recent research, along with a documentary by Andres Veiel, has shed new light on Leni Riefenstahl's life and career.
The examination of her estate, which includes 700 previously sealed boxes, has allowed for a reassessment of her influence on film and art history. The tension between artistic merit and ethical responsibility lies at the heart of the ongoing debate surrounding Riefenstahl's legacy, which remains highly relevant today.