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Top 10 Interesting Facts about Leni Riefenstahl

The figure was born Helene Bertha Amalie Riefenstahl in August 1902 in Berlin. She was a German photographer and film director who was famous during Hitler’s time.

She is noted for directing two innovative and extravagantly funded documentaries that are considered to be visually eloquent. The films she directed reflect her intensive feelings which attracted the attention of the public.

Therefore, this article will explore the facts about the controversial German figure and how her work was portrayed to the public, and the impact it had on the film industry.

1. She rose to fame as a dancer

Leni started her career early in that she was active from 1925 to 2002. These are a lot of years for someone to be relevant in a field, especially in the entertainment industry where trends are constantly changing.

She became interested in dancing at an early age and she took ballet classes which allowed her to perform across Europe where she gained fame.

2. She ventured into acting after leaving dancing

In 1924,  Leni Riefenstahl was going to a doctor’s appointment because she had suffered a series of foot injuries that threatened her dancing career when she encountered a poster of a film known as Mountain of Destiny. She was captivated and inspired by it to start a career in the movie-making industry.

During one of her explorations, she met Luis Trenker who had played a role in Mountain of Destiny. She then went on to meet the director of the film and persuaded him of her acting skills. She featured in a series of films that brought her to the limelight and thus marked the start of her acting career.

3. She was among the first women to direct a film during the Weimar Period

The filmmaking industry during the Weimar Period. She even learnt her filmmaking techniques from the director of Mountain of Destiny known as Franck.

The genre of the film used cinematic technique filters, slow motion and special film that enhanced the natural scenery with dramatic elements. This meant that her technical skill was accompanied by a great visual style.

4. She had a close relationship with Hitler

The actress had a close with the German dictator Hitler who was the leader of the Nazi Party. When the Nazis consolidated their grip on power in 1933 during the March elections, the team began anti-Semitic campaigns that advocated for the boycotting of Jewish businesses. 

They also introduced an Arierparagraph which banned the Jews from the film industry. The director heard Adolf Hitler talking at a rally in 1932 and she was amazed by his talent as a public speaker. Leni describes the event as the most powerful thing she ever encountered in her memoir.

Hitler then commissioned to make the Victory of Faith which was a record of the 1933 Nazi Party Rally. Her involvement with the Nazis spoilt her career as many people criticised how she could be involved with such politics.

5. She was born to a wealthy family

The actress and director were born to the owner of a ventilation and heating firm in Berlin. Her father wanted her to follow in his footsteps and continue with the family business but she was passionate about the arts.

As she came from an influential family, her mother enrolled her in ballet classes. This was a privilege that many children during that time did not get to enjoy as they

6. The use of music in her films

Leni Riefenstahl employs the use of music in her film Triumph of the Will. She distorts the diegetic sound, a mechanism that was influenced by German art cinema. The German art film was known for using music in the film to enhance the narrative and increase the emotions of the audience to the scene.

In Triumph of Will, the director employed the use of traditional folk music to increase the impact of her shots. Critics say that the use of music coupled with laughter and cheers brings in a rhythmic extension that is fantastic.

7. She was arrested several times

Leni was arrested and tried several times because of her involvement with the Nazi camp. After the war, she was arrested by Budd Schulberg who was assigned to the US Navy to identify the Nazi criminals who were in a film taken by the Allied troops after the war.

During all these arrests Leni maintained that she was misunderstood and was not political.

8. She travelled to Africa to do photography

Leni Riefenstahl became interested in Africa after coming across pictures of Ernest Hemmingway that were titled Green Hills of Africa. She then came to Kenya in 1956 for the first time and then went to Sudan where she photographed the Nuba.

During her time in Sudan, she lived with the tribe to learn more about their culture and also photograph them easily. She sold the still photos from her time in Sudan to different magazines in various parts of the world.

9. Some of her projects were destroyed

Most of Leni’s projects were lost when the war was almost going to an end. Her equipment along with her editing equipment was confiscated by the French government together with the production reels of Tiefland.

However, after many years of back and forth, her equipment was finally returned it is said that the French government had already damaged some of the film stock and thus made the production of the film impossible as they were missing some key scenes.

Later, she tried to make more films but it was met with negative reactions from the public and fellow filmmakers who had been against the Nazi’s rule.

10. She died of cancer

The director died 101 years after her birthday. She had just celebrated her birthday at a hotel in Bavaria that was near her hometown and the day after the birthday party she became sick.

She had been fighting cancer before the incident and her health had deteriorated. She died in her sleep at her home in Pöcking, Germany.