2001

Homepage > Programme > Leni Riefenstahl

Leni Riefenstahl (b. 1902), one of the most creative and controversial film directors alive. Riefenstahl was showered with accolades for the masterpieces Triumph des Willens (1935), an account of the Nuremberg Nazi rally produced at the behest of Chancellor Adolf Hitler, and Olympia I and Olympia II (1938), the twin films documenting the Olympic games in Berlin. The very same films led to her condemnation after World War II.

The Olympia documentaries depict the nations of the world coming together, united by the Olympic ideal, and draw parallels between the Ancient Greece and the Germany of the 1930's. Olympia I, Fest der Völker (Festival of the People) documents the lighting of the Olympic torch, the opening ceremonies and the classic Olympic events; and Olympia II, Fest der Schönheit (Festival of Beauty), shows athletes practising, as well as material from the more recently introduced events and the closing ceremonies.

The diving sequences of Olympia II are yet to find their match. The material, shot at three different speeds, is breathtaking; in slow motion, the divers momentarily resemble birds against the sky. These shots have ever since been a source of inspiration for many sports cinematographers.

LENI RIEFENSTAHL: OLYMPIA 1,
T 2 8.3, 5 pm

OLYMPIA TEIL 1 FEST DER VÖLKER, 126 min GERMANY 1938

LENI RIEFENSTAHL: OLYMPIA 2,
T 4 8.3, 9pm

OLYMPIA TEIL 2 FEST DER SCHÖNHEIT , 100 MIN GERMANY 1938 35mm

LENI RIEFENSTAHL: TRIUMPH DES WILLENS,
S 8 11.3, 5pm

TRIUMPH DES WILLENS, 114 min GERMANY 1935

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