You can watch a video of the discussion here.
Join us on Thursday, 25 September 2025 from 6.30 to 7.30pm on Zoom for a conversation between film director and script writer Andres Veiel and journalist Kate Connolly on the documentary Riefenstahl. Andres is considered one of the most distinguished representatives of politically engaged art in Germany. In addition to his film works Andres Veiel writes and directs stage plays , i.a. at Theater Basel, Schauspiel Stuttgart, Gorki-Theater and Deutsches Theater (Berlin). Kate Connolly is the Guardian’s Berlin correspondent. She previously worked as a foreign correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, and first contributed to the Guardian in 1997.
Riefenstahl offers a captivating insight into the private estate of Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous with her Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will but kept denying any closer ties to the regime. She remains one of the most complex and controversial figures of the 20th century. As the Third Reich’s most prominent filmmaker, her works Triumph of the Will and Olympia are celebrated for their technical brilliance and visual innovation, while simultaneously serving as powerful tools of Nazi propaganda. Andres’ compelling documentary draws on rare and previously unpublished materials from Riefenstahl’s personal estate, including private films, photographs, recordings, and correspondence. It offers a critical exploration of her life, her carefully constructed legacy, and the enduring influence of her aesthetic.