Leni Riefenstahl was a film-maker and actress. Her most successful films -- in popularity and in artistic execution -- were documentaries used by the Nazis under Hitler as propaganda for the Third Reich. After she was cleared of charges of war crimes, she turned to photography. Here are some biographies, an autobiography, her best-known films, and one of her later photography books.
1. Triumph of the Will
If you want to get a sense of how the Nazi Party played on the nationalism and emotions of the German people, this film is a must-see. It's the best-known of Leni Riefenstahl's films, made at the request of Hitler, and controversial because the Nazi Party rally it portrays was most likely staged with the success of this film in mind: an early example of what came to be called a "pseudo-event."
2. Olympia - Part 1 and 2
Leni Riefenstahl's other film commissioned by the Nazis and used as propaganda is this two-part film about the 1936 Olympics. With its focus on the human form and the struggle to win, it appealed to Nazi ideology. But Leni Riefenstahl also kept in the film much footage of African American track star Jesse Owens, reportedly against the will of Goebbels.3. The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
The 1993 documentary by Ray Mueller, in which Leni Riefenstahl strongly denies that her art was political or that she bears any responsibility for the Holocaust. Mueller focuses not just on her documentaries which the Nazis used as propaganda, but also on the rest of her life and career, though those accomplishments have been largely ignored in light of her ties to the Nazi party.4. Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir
1995 edition in English translation of Leni Riefenstahl's autobiography, which most critics panned as an attempt to whitewash her Nazi-connected past.5. Leni Riefenstahl: the Seduction of Genius
Translation (2002) of Rainer Rother's attempt to explain Leni Riefenstahl, her art, and her connections with Hitler's regime.6. The Last of the Nuba
When Leni Riefenstahl turned to photography after her film career could not be revived after World War II, she spent time in Africa photographing the Nuba -- and once again, focusing on the beauty of naked human bodies and their struggles.7. The Films of Leni Riefenstahl
Paperback edition of David B. Hinton's 1991 book on Leni Riefenstahl's film-making career.