A shot over glowing precious crystals and then the image of a beautiful face in profile. They are the first images of the documentary “Rifenstahl” by Andres Fayel, which he has taken from the film “The Blue Light” (1932). It starred Leni Riefenstahl, who also appeared in the credits as director.

Images of Hitler, Nazi marches and the Olympics alternate rapidly. Later, family photos also appear: father, mother, Leni. Leni Riefenstahl remained until the end of the war a staunch National Socialist and liked to go around in the guise of a grande dame. He died in 2003 at the ripe old age of 101.

After 1945, Leni Riefenstahl succeeded in her transformation into an apolitical artist and even gave the impression that she was unfairly persecuted. She was trying to convince people with half-truths and lies about her Nazi past and to silence people who doubted her. She herself was a dancer and actress without anyone ever recognizing her special talent. In the field of direction, however, even Andres Fayel admits that “Rifenstahl opened up creative avenues, especially for cameramen”.

Iron will and exploitation of everything

He also did a great job editing. Her greatest advantage, but also her curse, was her excessive ambition. Riefenstahl was not multi-talented, but she possessed an iron will and could try all mediums, from painting to dancing and from acting to directing, until she succeeded. Her mother never got tired of saying that she was squinty and ugly. Bertha Riefenstahl wanted her daughter to be a dancer and Leni followed. But a knee injury ended her career as a dancer in 1924. Then she saw “Mountain of Destiny” and tried her best to become an actress. Her childhood was not always easy. Her father is said to have once, when she was a child, tied reeds around her stomach and then thrown her into the water. In the film it is stated that Riefenstahl was then scared to death. Another time, however, she relativizes the story and mentions that this happened in order to become a good swimmer. Riefenstahl always presents the image that suits her.

The famous director exploited people in the worst possible way. This was glaring in the case of Cindy and Roma, whom she used as extras for her film ‘Tiefland’. He later claimed to have seen them all after the war, when in fact more than half had been murdered in extermination camps.

Did he trigger a massacre of Jews?

Riefenstahl, as head of a “special film team” in 1939, witnessed one of the first Wehrmacht crimes in Konski, Poland. She denied it herself, but photographs prove that she was present when Jews were executed in the market square. Andres Faiel goes even further, however, quoting another witness who claims to have heard Riefenstahl shouting in the market square during filming that the “Jews” – people she didn’t want in the film – had to “go away”. According to Andres Fayel, he may even have contributed to the execution of the Jews there.

Finally, several recordings in her possession show that the supposedly apolitical artist was a National Socialist. Riefenstahl avidly recorded meetings and phone calls. Some of them are heard in the film. The far-right views she expressed openly leave no room for anyone to see that Riefenstahl was not the person she tried to show after the war and was anything but apolitical.

Edited by: Maria Rigoutsou