Leni Riefenstahl Five Lives: A Biography in Pictures (Photobook) Book

Leni Riefenstahl: Five Lives traces the fascinating and controversial life and work of the famous German photographer/filmmaker. Riefenstahl started her creative career as an aspiring dancer in the 1920s in Germany and then became a movie actress. She starred in a number of films, taking challenging roles that were sometimes dangerous and physically rigorous, such as the ice-bound and skiing roles in Storm Over Mont Blanc, The White Flame and SOS Iceberg. These outdoor films foretold the spirit of adventure which later guided Riefenstahl's photography career. The crux of controversy that overshadows Riefenstahl's career is her hand-picked appointment, by Adolf Hitler, to direct the infamous National Socialist Party rally film, Triumph of the Will. Although, according to her memoirs, Riefenstahl tried to withdraw from the film, she created a film that depicted Hitler's plane descending from the clouds as if it carried a god and she has been accused "of having significantly increased, by means of this film, the emotional bond of the Germans to Hitler". Riefenstahl then went on to direct the German film Olympia covering the 1936 Olympics. With World War II came great change and Riefenstahl's eventual imprisonment by the French. In her later years she continued her photography career by documenting her trips to Africa and getting her scuba licence in her 70s. Her close-up underwater pictures of sea life float like a dream in vivid colour. As damning as her association with the Nazis is, Riefenstahl is a complex and talented artist. This book is full of remarkable images of her acting and directorial career as well as her still-photography. Includes a detailed biography of her life and career complete with family and personal pictures.--JP CohenRead More