The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
Most people believe that every single day in LA, some actor or writer or director sells a bit of his or her soul to stay in the film business. You can’t see a documentary (The Kid Stays in the Picture) or drama (Sunset Boulevard or A Star Is Born) about the business and not get that message. Leni Riefenstahl was a filmmaker who paid a steep price for her choice to get into filmmaking. Born in Germany on August 22, 1902, Leni was a dancer and actress who became a director. She directed the powerful Nazi propaganda films, Triumph of the Will and Olympia. She made two of the most powerful films in history and it destroyed her life.
She spent decades self-exiled in the Sudan photographing the Nuba. Numerous books of her photographs were published. (Does the photograph to the right remind you of Keith Haring?) At age 71, she started scuba diving. At the age of 100, Leni Riefenstahl released a film about underwater worlds. Leni-Riefenstahl.de will give you more info. To get a sense of the power of her films, view a clip of Triumph of the Will.
Leni Riefenstahl was 101 yesterday (August 22, 2003). If only the good die young, I guess Leni was very, very bad. But what a filmmaker.
