Helene Bertha Amalie “Leni” Riefenstahl (22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will), made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party. Riefenstahl’s prominence in the Third Reich along with her personal friendship with Adolf Hitler thwarted her film career following Germany’s defeat in World War II, after which she was arrested but released without any charges.
Triumph of the Will gave Riefenstahl instant and lasting international fame, as well as infamy. Although she directed only eight films, just two of which received significant coverage outside of Germany, Riefenstahl was widely known all her life. The propaganda value of her films made during the 1930s repels most modern commentators but many film histories cite the aesthetics as outstanding. The Economist wrote that Triumph of the Will “sealed her reputation as the greatest female filmmaker of the 20th century”.
In the 1970s Riefenstahl published her still photography of the Nuba tribes in Sudan in several books such as The Last of the Nuba. She was active up until her death and also published marine life stills and released the marine-based film Impressionen unter Wasser in 2002.
After her death, the Associated Press described Riefenstahl as an “acclaimed pioneer of film and photographic techniques”. Der Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin noted, “Leni Riefenstahl conquered new ground in the cinema”. The BBC said her documentaries “were hailed as groundbreaking film-making, pioneering techniques involving cranes, tracking rails, and many cameras working at the same time”.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Leni Riefenstahl, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Leni Riefenstahl Biography / Wiki
| Name | Leni Riefenstahl |
| Also Know | ë ˆë‹ˆ 리펜슈탈 |
| Gender | Female |
| Known For | Acting |
| Place of Birth | Berlin, Germany |
| Date of Birth | 1902-08-22 |
| Age(as in 2022) | 101 |
| Deathday | 2003-09-08 |
Leni Riefenstahl Acting Movies
| Movie Name | Character | Release Date | Overview |
| Lowlands | Martha | 1954-02-11 | Set in the early part of 20th century Europe. There lived a dancer who becomes the romantic bone of contention between a humble shepherd and an imperi… |
| The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl | Herself | 1993-09-11 | This documentary recounts the life and work of one of most famous, and yet reviled, German film directors in history, Leni Riefenstahl. The film recou… |
| The Blue Light | Junta | 1932-03-24 | A young woman, Junta, lives apart from her village and, for her solitude and strangeness, is considered to be a witch; when she comes to the village f… |
| The Holy Mountain | Diotima | 1926-11-01 | Professional dancer Diotima finds herself the apex of a love triangle when she is pursued by two mountain climbers, Vigo and his unnamed older friend…. |
| The Great Leap | Gita | 1927-12-20 | A young Italian girl living in the Dolomites falls in love with a member of a tourist party skiing on the nearby mountains…. |
| Leni Riefenstahl: Her Dream of Africa | 2003-09-28 | At the age of 97 Riefenstahl returns to Sudan for one final farewell to the Nuba that she lived with for 8 months and photographed and filmed extensiv… | |
| Ways to Strength and Beauty | 1925-03-16 | The perfect body as an object of cult worship. Based on the mass sports and body worship movement of the 1920s, the film propagates physical training … | |
| Underwater Impressions | 2002-08-21 | Riefenstahl explores the undersea world of coral reefs in various oceans around the world. Soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder…. | |
| White Ecstasy | Leni | 1931-12-10 | Leni, a daring young girl, is visiting for the second time a ski-resort. The local ski-teachers agree to organize a “fox-hunt” for her. Leni and Hanne… |
| White Hell of Pitz Palu | Maria Maioni | 1929-10-10 | Dr. Johannes Krafft climbs a 12,000-foot mountain over and over again to search for his wife, who was lost on their honeymoon. Another couple makes th… |
| S.O.S. Iceberg | Hella Lorenz | 1933-08-30 | An expedition goes in search of a party lost in the Arctic the year before. The English language version of this German film was made at the same tim… |
| Storm Over Mont Blanc | Hella Armstrong | 1930-12-25 | In a lonely outpost atop the treacherous Mont Blanc, an intrepid scientist lives with minimal connection to the world below. Through the telegraph, Ha… |
| S.O.S. Iceberg | Ellen Lawrence | 1933-09-22 | An expedition goes in search of a party lost in the Arctic the year before. This is the English language version of the German film S.O.S. Eisberg (1… |
| Sandra Maischberger meets Leni Riefenstahl | Herself | 2002-08-15 | An interview with infamous German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl carried out by Sandra Maischberger in preparation for the subject’s 100th birthday, and t… |
| Time of Darkness and Silence | Self | 1982-09-03 | Examines the use of Sinti in the making of “Tiefland”. Gladitz claims that Riefenstahl knew that they would be sent to Auschwitz…. |
| From Stag Beetle to Swastika | 2002-01-24 | From Stag Beetle to Swastika narrates in a richly detailed, associative montage the boundless possibilities of manipulating images and using images to… | |
| Das Schicksal derer von Habsburg | Maria Vetsera | 1928-11-16 | … |
| The Night of the Filmmakers | Self | 1995-02-12 | A meditation on the first 100 years of German cinema, featuring some of its greatest directors…. |
| Speer und er: Nachspiel – Die Täuschung | Herself | 2005-05-12 | Documentary continuing Breloer’s exploration of Speer’s life, focusing on the post-Spandau years…. |
| Leni Riefenstahl – The End of a Myth | Self (archive footage) | 2020-10-22 | Countless people around the world know the pictures from Leni Riefenstahl’s films, even if they have not seen them in their entirety. The work of the … |
| Memories of a Summer in Berlin | herself | 1972-08-22 | A semi-documentary account of the author Thomas Wolfe’s trip to Berlin in the summer of 1936…. |
| Hitler’s Hollywood | Self – Filmmaker (archive footage) | 2017-02-23 | Film journalist and critic Rüdiger Suchsland examines German cinema from 1933, when the Nazis came into power, until 1945, when the Third Reich colla… |
| Games of the XXI Olympiad | Herself – Spectator | 1977-04-21 | Edited from almost 100 km of film footage shot during the Games, this feature documentary is a breathtaking portrait of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Mu… |
| Memories of Berlin: The Twilight of Weimar Culture | 1976-10-07 | The film tells the cultural story of Berlin during the Weimar Republic through interviews with a number of persons who were involved in literature, fi… | |
| Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations | Self (uncredited) | 1938-04-20 | The First part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 19… |
| Kino kolossal – Herkules, Maciste & Co | Herself (archive footage) | 2000-01-01 | … |
| Birth of a Nation | Herself | 1997-01-01 | Filmmaker Jonas Mekas films 160 underground film people over four decades…. |
Leni Riefenstahl Directing Movies
| Movie Name | Job | Release Date | Overview |
| Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty | Director | 1938-04-20 | The Second part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 1… |
| Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations | Director | 1938-04-20 | The First part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 19… |
| Lowlands | Director | 1954-02-11 | Set in the early part of 20th century Europe. There lived a dancer who becomes the romantic bone of contention between a humble shepherd and an imperi… |
| Triumph of the Will | Director | 1935-03-28 | Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s controversial masterwork is an artful work of propaganda showcasing German chancellor and Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler … |
| The Blue Light | Director | 1932-03-24 | A young woman, Junta, lives apart from her village and, for her solitude and strangeness, is considered to be a witch; when she comes to the village f… |
| Underwater Impressions | Director | 2002-08-21 | Riefenstahl explores the undersea world of coral reefs in various oceans around the world. Soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder…. |
| The Victory of Faith | Director | 1933-12-01 | This propaganda film, the first shot by Riefenstahl, funded as well as promoted by the Nazi party, recounts the 1933 Nuremberg rally and Hitler’s take… |
| Day of Freedom – Our Armed Forces | Director | 1935-12-30 | Filming of the performance show the Deutsche Wehrmacht (German Army) made during the Reichsparteitag of the NSDAP in Nurnberg 1935. Showing the readin… |
Leni Riefenstahl Production Movies
| Movie Name | Job | Release Date | Overview |
| Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations | Producer | 1938-04-20 | The First part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 19… |
| Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty | Producer | 1938-04-20 | The Second part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 1… |
| Lowlands | Producer | 1954-02-11 | Set in the early part of 20th century Europe. There lived a dancer who becomes the romantic bone of contention between a humble shepherd and an imperi… |
| The Blue Light | Producer | 1932-03-24 | A young woman, Junta, lives apart from her village and, for her solitude and strangeness, is considered to be a witch; when she comes to the village f… |
| Triumph of the Will | Producer | 1935-03-28 | Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s controversial masterwork is an artful work of propaganda showcasing German chancellor and Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler … |
| Day of Freedom – Our Armed Forces | Producer | 1935-12-30 | Filming of the performance show the Deutsche Wehrmacht (German Army) made during the Reichsparteitag of the NSDAP in Nurnberg 1935. Showing the readin… |
Writing
| Movie Name | Job | Release Date | Overview |
| Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty | Screenplay | 1938-04-20 | The Second part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 1… |
| Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations | Screenplay | 1938-04-20 | The First part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 19… |
| Lowlands | Screenplay | 1954-02-11 | Set in the early part of 20th century Europe. There lived a dancer who becomes the romantic bone of contention between a humble shepherd and an imperi… |
| The Blue Light | Story | 1932-03-24 | A young woman, Junta, lives apart from her village and, for her solitude and strangeness, is considered to be a witch; when she comes to the village f… |
| Hoch der Lambeth Valk | Idea | 1941-12-25 | A 1941 Ministry of Information propaganda film set to the tune of The Lambeth Walk, a popular song from the musical Me and My Girl…. |
| Underwater Impressions | Writer | 2002-08-21 | Riefenstahl explores the undersea world of coral reefs in various oceans around the world. Soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder…. |
| Triumph of the Will | Screenplay | 1935-03-28 | Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s controversial masterwork is an artful work of propaganda showcasing German chancellor and Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler … |
Other Info
| Movie Name | Job | Release Date | Overview |
| Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty | Editor | 1938-04-20 | The Second part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 1… |
| Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations | Editor | 1938-04-20 | The First part of Olympia, a documentary about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin by German Director Leni Riefenstahl. The film played in theaters in 19… |
| Lowlands | Editor | 1954-02-11 | Set in the early part of 20th century Europe. There lived a dancer who becomes the romantic bone of contention between a humble shepherd and an imperi… |
| The Blue Light | Editor | 1932-03-24 | A young woman, Junta, lives apart from her village and, for her solitude and strangeness, is considered to be a witch; when she comes to the village f… |
| Triumph of the Will | Editor | 1935-03-28 | Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s controversial masterwork is an artful work of propaganda showcasing German chancellor and Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler … |
| Day of Freedom – Our Armed Forces | Editor | 1935-12-30 | Filming of the performance show the Deutsche Wehrmacht (German Army) made during the Reichsparteitag of the NSDAP in Nurnberg 1935. Showing the readin… |
Credit: TMDB
Checkout The More Celebrities Profiles in Biography World