Leni Riefenstahl Documentary Sells Wide After Venice, Telluride Premiere

Leni Riefenstahl Documentary Sells Wide After Venice, Telluride Premiere

As a connoisseur of thought-provoking documentaries and a keen observer of German history, I find Andres Veiel’s latest work, “Riefenstahl,” to be an absolute masterpiece. The meticulous six-year research process, delving into over 700 boxes of Leni Riefenstahl‘s personal archive, is nothing short of heroic.


The documentary by Andres Veiel titled “Riefenstahl“, about the controversial German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl during the Nazi era, has experienced robust sales worldwide after debuting at both the Venice and Telluride Film Festivals

Beta Cinema, responsible for global distribution of the movie, secured distribution agreements throughout Europe for the documentary. These include deals with ARP for France, Filmin for Spain, Midas Filmes for Portugal, Edge Entertainment across Scandinavia, Against Gravity in Poland, Cirko Film in Hungary, Imagine in the Benelux region, and MCF for the territories that were once Yugoslavia. Longride Entertainment will be the distributor in Japan. Currently, negotiations are underway for additional territories

In Germany, the movie titled “Riefenstahl” will be released through Majestic, and its distribution in Italy will be managed by the film’s co-producer, Rai Cinema

Sandra Maischberger, a renowned German journalist and television talk show host, spent six years meticulously examining over 700 boxes of films, writings, audio recordings, and other materials from Leni Riefenstahl’s private archive for the making of this movie. The film aims to challenge several myths that emerged about Riefenstahl, the director of Nazi propaganda films such as ‘Triumph of the Will’ and ‘Olympia’, after the war. These myths include the notion that she was an unknowledgeable artist, had little connection with Adolf Hitler, and was oblivious to the Holocaust until after World War II

Veiel is a renowned documentarian and occasional film director who often delves into contentious figures from Germany’s past. He shed light on the left-wing terrorist group, the RAF, in the 2001 documentary “Black Box BRD” and in the fictional film “If Not Us, Who?” (2011). Additionally, he explored the life and art of avant-garde artist Joseph Beuys in the 2017 documentary titled “Beuys.”

Read More

2024-09-04 16:24