"The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl"
1993
Directed by Ray Mueller

An exhaustive, infuriating and unforgettable documentary about Leni Riefenstahl at age 90: actress, filmmaker (Olympia, Triumph of the Will), propagandist, personal friend of Goebbels and Hitler, photographer, explorer. Filmmaker Ray Mueller confronts Leni as she seeks to remold her image from that of a master propagandist and Nazi to that of a noble and heroic victim of history. Essential viewing. German with English subtitles.
180 minutes.

Guest Comments

From: "Ray Mueller"

"Personally, this film resolved the moral question that Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will" present: are art and politics two separate entities? For me, I found this answer to be yes. I believe Riefenstahl whole-heartedly in her claim that she was unaware of the politics around her and merely created and perfected her truly beautiful art. In this interesting documentary, Riefenstahl candidly explains her involvement with History's most infamous character, Adolf Hitler himself. (Oh-and for the record, in the film Riefenstahl heavily denies being friends with Goebbels, or even liking him.)"