Archival Trove Demolishes Leni Riefenstahl's Myth of "Just an Artist"

In 2025, a new documentary titled Riefenstahl is shattering the carefully crafted myth that Leni Riefenstahl, the acclaimed filmmaker, was merely a "naïve artist" who worked for the Nazi regime. The Oscar-contending film, directed by Andres Veiel and produced by Sandra Maischberger, delves deep into Riefenstahl's own archives to uncover the truth about her close ties to Nazism.

The documentary takes a forensic approach, using Riefenstahl's personal papers, manuscripts, recordings, and over 200,000 photos to expose her selective memory and outright lies. For instance, Riefenstahl is shown excitedly narrating a scene from her propaganda masterpiece, Triumph of the Will, while claiming the film had nothing to do with promoting Nazi ideology. However, the documentary counters this by presenting evidence from the film itself, including a scene where an antisemitic magazine publisher discusses racial purity laws.

Maischberger, a renowned German journalist, was one of the last to interview Riefenstahl before her passing in 2003 at the age of 101. She recalls being stonewalled by the director, who used various tactics, including intimidation and lawsuits, to maintain her self-serving narrative. The documentary reveals how Riefenstahl was able to "put a spell" on even her harshest critics, convincing many that she was the true victim of the Nazi regime.

Veiel, the director, notes that the film's objective was not just to investigate Riefenstahl's sympathies, but also to explore how her work remains relevant today, as authoritarian regimes around the world find inspiration in her aesthetics and ideology.