First Trailer for ‘Riefenstahl’ Doc About Filmmaker’s Nazi Connection

First Trailer for ‘Riefenstahl’ Doc About Filmmaker’s Nazi Connection

by Alex Billington
March 31, 2025
Source: YouTube

“Doesn’t an artist have a special responsibility?” Madman Films in Australia has unveiled an official trailer for a documentary film titled Riefenstahl, yes indeed a look back at the controversial and iconic German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. This premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival that year and earned great reviews at this fest, before playing at many others including at Zurich & Stockholm. A real, meaningful doc. The film explores Leni Riefenstahl’s artistic legacy and her sophisticated ties to the Nazi regime, juxtaposing her self-portrayal with evidence suggesting awareness of the regime’s atrocities. “A captivating insight into the private estate of Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will but kept denying any closer ties to the regime.” The doc asks: How could Riefenstahl rise to become the Reich’s leading filmmaker while persistently denying any close ties to Hitler and Goebbels? It turns out that maybe she really was a Nazi, despite her denials, or at least looked the other way when her “friend” Hitler ruled over the Third Reich for years. I saw this in Venice (here’s my review) and it’s pretty clear this doc is to show us yep – she was a Nazi, but was also a brilliant filmmaker. Both, unfortunately, can be (and are) true.

Here’s the first international trailer (+ poster) for Andres Veiel’s doc Riefenstahl, direct from YouTube:

Leni Riefenstahl is considered one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century. Her films Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will) and Olympia epitomize perfectly staged body worship & the celebration of the superior and victorious. At the same time, these images project contempt for the imperfect & feeble. Riefenstahl’s aesthetics are more prevalent today than ever—does the same hold true for their underlying message? The film explores this question using documents from Riefenstahl’s estate, including private films, photos, letters, and recordings. It uncovers fragments of her biography and places them within a broader historical context. Riefenstahl is directed by the award-winning German editor / doc filmmaker Andres Veiel, director of the doc films Balagan, Die Überlebenden, Black Box BRD, Die Spielwütigen, Der Kick, If Not Us Who?, and Beuys previously. Produced by Sandra Maischberger. This initially premiered at the 2024 Venice Film Festival last year (read our review). Madman Films will debut the Riefenstahl doc in Australian cinemas coming soon. No US release date is set – expected later in 2025. Curious to learn more?

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