As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours delving into the rich tapestry of world cinema, I find Andres Veiel’s documentary “Riefenstahl” to be an extraordinary and captivating work. The film’s exploration of Leni Riefenstahl’s life and legacy, particularly her complicity with the Nazis, is a testament to Veiel’s unyielding commitment to truth-telling in cinema.
Andres Veiel’s documentary “Riefenstahl” that questions the polished image of a notoriously debated German film director, who was indelibly linked to collaboration with the Nazis, is one of 17 German films being screened in the different categories of the Venice Film Festival.
Exploring Leni Reifenstahl’s hitherto unavailable archive, a 160-minute movie has emerged, revealing long-hidden secrets that the creator of the 1935 Nuremberg propaganda film “Triumph of the Will” worked tirelessly for over half her life to conceal.
Veiel, hired to direct the film by Sandra Maischberger of Berlin’s Vincent Films following her acquisition of Riefenstahl’s archive after Horst Kette’s death in 2016, finds no issue with the movie’s out-of-competition screening because he considers the festival an appropriate platform for its premiere.
Veiel shares with EbMaster, “I believe this festival is perfect for our film. The political climates in Germany and Italy share similarities – both experiencing a rise in right-wing ideologies, coupled with an increasing appetite for propaganda and misinformation. This festival provides an excellent platform for discussions about our movie.”
There are also ghosts of the past in Venice – Riefenstahl screened several of her films at the festival in the 1930s, including her two Nazi propaganda films, and her first feature “The Blue Light,” made in 1932. She even had a retrospective on the Lido in the 1950s, at a time when she was just beginning to construct a persona distanced from the Nazis, and – as “Riefenstahl” shows – largely built on lies.
Despite its challenging nature due to Riefenstahl’s apparent involvement in the murder of Jewish men in Poland and her admiration for Hitler, “Riefenstahl” is expected to be highly sought-after at Venice.
A highly-awaited movie titled “September 5,” directed by Tim Fehlbaum and set during the Munich summer Olympics in 1972, is now showing in the Horizons Extra competition section. This film, featuring Peter Sarsgaard and John Magaro, follows an American sports reporting team from ABC who are forced to shift their focus from athletic events to the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes. The storyline explores how such tragic incidents can test a journalist’s ethical standards while on duty.
In Horizons, Scandar Copti’s “Happy Holidays” tells the story of a Palestinian woman whose double life is revealed after a car accident in Jerusalem, and “Quiet Life,” directed by Alexandros Avranas, focuses on a family of asylum seekers whose hopes of creating a new life in Sweden are dashed when their application is rejected.
Two German collaborations are being shown in the main competition – “Harvest” directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari, based on the award-winning book of the same name that portrays an English village whose identity seems to transcend both time and location before vanishing forever; and “Maria,” a co-production between Italy, Germany, and the U.S., directed by Pablo Larrain, which narrates the life story of opera singer Maria Callas.
Looking further ahead, German films are also heading to the Toronto Film Festival.
As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that one standout movie in this lineup is “Sad Jokes,” the sophomore work by Fabian Stumm. This film will have its international debut in the Discovery section of the festival. The story revolves around Joseph and Sonya, a unique duo raising a son together, albeit without a romantic bond. However, when Sonya suffers a breakdown, it disrupts Joseph’s focus from a fresh movie project, and also adds to his heartache following a break-up with Marc.
Additionally, we have the following titles that have been unveiled: “Edge of Night” directed by Türker Süer, “Seven Days” from Amil Samadi Ahadi, and “The Sunset Special 2” by Nicolas Gebbe.
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2024-08-31 20:46