New at the Browning
Directed by Andres Veiel
Not Rated, 115 minutes, DCP
In English and German with English subtitles
Filmmaker and Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial women of the 20th century. Her films Triumph of the Will and Olympia are defined by their fascist aesthetics, perfectly staged body worship, and the celebration of all that is "superior" and victorious, simultaneously projecting contempt for the imperfect and weak. But Riefenstahl, who first broke into the German film industry as an actress, spent decades after the war denying her association with Nazi ideology and claiming ignorance of the Holocaust. Many have long doubted her hired-hand framing when she was the Reich's preeminent filmmaker, and this documentary examines these doubts using never-before-seen documents from Leni Riefenstahl's estate, including private films, photos, recordings, and letters, uncovering fragments of her biography and placing them in an extended historical context that subverts her professed ignorance.
This is a free but ticketed event. To guarantee your seat, please pick up your tickets at least 15 minutes prior to the show, at which point your unclaimed tickets may be used to seat patrons waiting on standby. Tickets will be available for pick-up at the Ticket Office beginning one hour prior to the performance.
Originally published at germanandslavic.nd.edu.