“With his new documentary Riefenstahl, Andres Veiel absolutely sets out to offer a
different perspective: Glorify her at your peril.”
– Christian Blauvelt, Indiewire
“[Veiel] paints a textured, complex portrait that feels close to definitive; a slice of dark history that speaks (eloquently, implicitly) to present-day tensions.”
– Xan Brooks, The Guardian
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Andres Veiel’s Venice prizewinning documentary Riefenstahl, an extraordinary and critical portrait of the life of the infamous artist, filmmaker, and propagandist. Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release in 2025, followed by a digital, educational, and home video release.
Directed by Andres Veiel and produced by Sandra Maischberger, Riefenstahl made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it received the Cinema & Arts Award. The film was an official selection of the Telluride Film Festival and will next screen at the upcoming Zurich Film Festival.
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. How did she become the Reich's preeminent filmmaker if she was just a hired hand? Riefenstahl examines this question using never-before-seen materials 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. During her long life after the fall of Nazism, she remained unapologetic, managing to control and shape her legacy; in personal documents, she mourns her "murdered ideals." Meanwhile, her work would experience a renaissance, gaining esteem for its masterful technical skill. Today, Riefenstahl's aesthetics are more present than ever. Is that also true for their message? In an era where fascism is on the rise again, fake news is prevalent, and the meaning of political imagery is constantly dissected and debated, Andres Veiel's mesmerizing new film shows that Leni Riefenstahl is more relevant than ever.
The deal for Riefenstahl was negotiated by Kino Lorber Head of Theatrical Acquisitions and Distribution Lisa Schwartz and Dirk Schuerhoff, CEO of Beta Cinema.
“Andres Veiel's Riefenstahl is not a simple biography but a forensic exploration, a remarkable, in-depth interrogation of one of the most contentious figures in cinema history. With unprecedented access to Leni Riefenstahl's archive, including never before seen personal documents and footage from her estate, Veiel's documentary questions her lifelong claims against her own complicity, crafting a damning portrait of an artist that is compelling, disturbing, and ultimately essential viewing,” said Kino Lorber’s Lisa Schwartz.
“Now as then Riefenstahl’s visual worlds are about triumph. Triumph over doubt, ambivalence, supposed weakness and the imperfect. Thus, looking at the world today, a film about Riefenstahl became an urgent necessity for me. Riefenstahl’s extensive legacy, reinterpreted in the light of her private estate, offered the opportunity for a new take on the timeless attraction of imperial greatness and the need for the staging of the trained, perfect and victorious ones, as we see them on the rise today again. After an excellent collaboration on my documentary Beuys, I am thrilled to once again partner with Kino Lorber. I believe American cinephiles will uncover some surprising insights in Riefenstahl, and I look forward to engaging in passionate, thought-provoking discussions with audiences across North America,” said Veiel.
Producer Sandra Maischberger said, “Leni Riefenstahl’s hundred-year history of life and influence is a key to understanding the mechanisms of manipulation that we are currently encountering again. This makes the journey into the depths of her legacy more than a mere cultural-historical exercise. Deciphering her work means to unveil the original sin of film propaganda in order to be able to recognize its resurrection today.”
Riefenstahl is produced by Vincent Productions in co-production with WDR, NDR, BR, SWR and rbb, in collaboration with Rai Cinema. The production is supported by FFA, BKM, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Filmstiftung NRW, and DFFF.