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The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl Ray Mueller In this remarkable, exhaustive, infuriating and unforgettable documentary, Leni Riefenstahl at age 91 - actress, filmmaker (Olympia, Triumph of the Will), propagandist, personal friend of Goebbels and Hitler, photographer, explorer, the woman best known as Hitler's moviemaker - addresses her past for the first time on camera. Creator of the single most effective propaganda film ever made, Riefenstahl has spent much of her life trying to live down her association with the Nazi Party (which she claims to have never actually joined). 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. Feisty and charismatic at 91, Riefenstahl revisits the landmarks of her turbulent life. A riveting story that leaves the viewer in total awe of its controversial subject. German with English subtitles. Germany, 1993, 180 mins. DVD | $44.95
Blue Light Leni Riefenstahl A painter falls in love with a young girl whom the villagers fear as a witch because only she can reach the dangerous mountain peak. When the painter discovers her secret route, she jumps off a cliff. Riefenstahl's first film as director was shot on location and emphasizes the romantic mysticism of the mountains and the transmuting power of nature. The film so impressed Hitler he asked her to make films for the Nazis. Co-scripted by Bela Balasz. The DVD is made on DVD-R media, and may not be playable on some DVD players. German with English subtitles. Germany, 1932, 77 mins. DVD (DVD-R media) $44.95
Olympia: The Complete Original Version Leni Riefenstahl Leni Riefenstahl was given unlimited resources and full artistic freedom to produce this two-part film of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Engrossingly beautiful, the film provides a glimpse of the Nazi mystique and idealization of the youthful male body. Famous sequences include the men's diving competition, Jesse Owen's sprint races and Riefenstahl's use of telephoto lenses and slow motion. Includes Parts One and Two: Festival of the Nations and Festival of Beauty. 2-DVD Limited Edition set includes Jugend Der Welt documentary of the 1936 Winter Olympics at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Die Kamera Fahrt Mit 1936 documentary by Bavaria-Filmkunst featuring Riefenstahl footage, deleted scenes, biography, still gallery, essays by film historian David Calvert Smith, trailers, German and English language options, and English subtitle option. In German with English subtitles. Germany, 1938, 204 mins. DVD | $44.95
Tiefland Leni Riefenstahl Based on the libretto for D'Abert's opera, Riefenstahl directs and plays a gypsy dancer caught between a handsome shepard and an imperious marquis. Filmed largely between 1940 and 1945, Riefenstahl worked slowly to avoid working on any political films. Released successfully in 1954. Includes an essay by Riefenstahl specialist Luc Deneulin. In German with English subtitles. Germany, 1940 -1945, 98 mins. DVD | $37.95
Triumph of the Will Leni Riefenstahl As an historical record, a cautionary example of propaganda filmmaking, and, yes, as a work of art, Leni Riefenstahl's documentary film of the 1934 Nazi Party Rally in Nuremberg stands as one of the most important movies ever made. Enormously controversial to this day, the film's powerful imagery retains its dramatic impact even as its message offends. Hitler, Hermann Goring, Rudolf Hess, Heinrich Himmler and other architects of the Holocaust are glorified in this troubling, yet beautifully filmed work. Essential viewing for film and history scholars or, for that matter, anyone who wants to understand how even the darkest sort of leadership can be reinforced through media manipulation. In German with English subtitles. Germany, 1935, 122 mins. DVD | $54.95
Victory of Faith (Sieg Des Glaubens) Leni Riefenstahl The first in a long line of aesthetically impressive and ideologically abhorrent films made by the extraordinarily talented Leni Riefenstahl. Riefenstahl captures a Nazi Party Rally celebrating the tenth anniversary of the National Socialist movement, with appearances by Adolph Hitler and other party officials. The film can be seen as a prequel to Riefenstahl's propaganda masterpiece, The Triumph of the Will. Includes short documentary film by Fritz Hoppler: Wort un Tat. In German WITHOUT English subtitles. Germany, 1933, 61 mins. DVD | $44.95
The Holy Mountain Arnold Fanck The greatest of director Arnold Fanck's mountain dramas set against the backdrop of the German Alps. A reclusive climber (Luis Trenker) and a young skier (Ernst Petersen) develop an intense rivalry in their pursuit of the affections of an alluring dancer, played by Leni Riefenstahl (who would go on to direct the Nazi propaganda films, Triumph of the Will and Olympia). A wonderfully photographed, silent classic. The DVD includes interview footage of Leni Riefenstahl and Luis Trenker. Germany, 1926, 105 mins. DVD | $44.95
S.O.S. Iceberg Arnold Fanck/Tay Garnett Although it features many of the same themes as his mountain films of the 1920's, this epic Arnold Fanck adventure is set at sea-level off the coast of Greenland, where a band of explorers and scientists (played by Gustav Diessl, Rod La Rocque, and others) cling to life on an eroding iceberg. Fresh from directing Victory of the Faith (1933), Leni Riefenstahl stars as a daredevil pilot who crashes her plane during a courageous rescue attempt. As the iceberg shrinks at an alarming rate, the adventurers ponder their fate and pray for a miracle. English language version; includes English subtitle option and photo gallery. Germany 1933 86 mins. DVD | $44.95
Storm Over Mount Blanc Arnold Fanck A sublime example of the German mountain film, this Arnold Fanck production is notable for its unique blend of romanticism, eeriness, and natural doom. Sepp Rist stars as Hannes, an inquisitive scientist who lives atop the treacherous Mount Blanc with little connection to the civilized world. When a terrible storm strands Hannes, he sends out a desperate S.O.S. in the hopes that a beautiful astronomer (Leni Riefenstahl) and a daredevil pilot (Ernst Udet) can save him. Includes short film Cloud Phenomena of Maloja, 1924 and photo gallery. In German with English subtitles. Germany 1930 95 mins. DVD | $$44.95
White Hell of Pitz Palu G.W. Pabst/Arnold Fanck Made at the end of the silent era, this unique film by G.W. Pabst and Arnold Fanck is a classic example of the German mountain film: first-rate hybrids of documentary and melodrama that also feature embryonic propaganda content. Shot under treacherous conditions during a five-month journey to the 12,000 foot high Pitz Palu, the film stars Leni Riefenstahl and Ernst Peterson as a vacationing couple who become stranded on the mountain's dreaded north face. With Gustav Diessl as a traveler haunted by his wife's death and Otto Spring as the brave soul committed to saving them. Includes The Immoderation in Me (2002, 59 mins.), an interview with Leni Riefenstahl by Sandra Maischberger, excerpt of the 1935 sound reissue version, and photo gallery. Includes alternate ending and bonus segment. Silent with English titles. Germany 1929 133 mins. DVD | $44.95
