History Creator / LeniRiefenstahl

* BannedInChina: Aside from the obvious ban on her Nazi propaganda works in modern Germany outside of educational purposes on the dangers of the ideology, her very first film of that kind, ''Sieg des Glaubens'' (''Victory of the Faith'') was banned in 1934 by the Nazi leadership itself. The reason for this was the prominent role the SA [[note]]the infamous "Brown Shirts", paramilitary units of the Nazi party during its political ascent[[/note]] had in it. The SA was purged of its leadership during the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934 and the organization's role was considerably reduced, so a work showing them prominently (and their leader Ernst Röhm [[note]]who was executed during the purge[[/note]] especially) was not welcome anymore. A copy survived to this day still.

* Helene Winter, from the video game ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' (2017), is based on her. She's a prominent film director in the [[GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel Nazi-controlled world]] of the game's AlternateTimeline, making propaganda movies such as ''America: The New Order''. She also serves as Hitler's favorite film instructor, and [[BeleagueredAssistant reluctant caretaker]].

* Riefenstahl was referred to in the final episode of ''Series/{{Weeds}}'' (2012) when Nancy Botwin questions Andy for naming his daughter after a Nazi, to which he replies: "She was a pioneer in filmmaking, I don't believe in holding grudges".

* NationalGeographicNudity: The photos and footage she took when living with the Nuba tribes of Sudan show plenty of male and female nudity, owing to their lifestyle and traditions.

* Helene Winter, from the video game ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' (2017), is based on her. She's a prominent film director in the [[GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel Nazi-controlled world]] of the game's AlternateTimeline, making movies for the Nazi war machine such as ''America: The New Order''. She also serves as Hitler's favorite film instructor, and [[BeleagueredAssistant reluctant caretaker]].

* Helene Winter, from the video game ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' (2017), is based on Leni. She's a prominent film director in the [[GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel Nazi-controlled world]] of the game's AlternateTimeline, making movies for the Nazi war machine such as ''America: The New Order''. She also serves as Hitler's favorite film instructor, and [[BeleagueredAssistant reluctant caretaker]].

* She appears in the video game ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' (2017). In the game's AlternateTimeline, she's still a prominent film director in the [[GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel Nazi-controlled world]], still making movies for the Nazi war machine such as ''America: The New Order''. She also serves as Hitler's favorite film instructor, and [[BeleagueredAssistant reluctant caretaker]].

* She appears in the video game ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus''. In the game's AlternateTimeline, she's still a prominent film director in the [[GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel Nazi-controlled world]], still making movies for the Nazi war machine such as ''America: The New Order''. She also serves as Hitler's favorite film instructor, and [[BeleagueredAssistant reluctant caretaker]].

* In ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' (2009), Frederick Zoller believes that Shosanna is an admirer of Leni, as she played the protagonist of ''The White Hell of Pitz Palu'', which is shown in her cinema. Shosanna however shows low admiration for an actress and filmmaker known for her friendship with Hitler and his court.

!!In fiction:

* In ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' (2009), Frederick Zoller believes that Shosanna is an admirer of Leni, the protagonist of ''The White Hell of Pitz Palu'', which is shown in her cinema. Shosanna however shows low admiration for an actress and filmmaker known for her friendship with Hitler and his court.

Leni's life and involvement with the Nazi regime, her relationship with UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler in particular, remain subject of controversy up to this day, controversial enough for people like Creator/JodieFoster and Creator/StevenSoderbergh to back down on biopic projects about her.

* In ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' (2009), Fredrick Zoller believes that Shosanna is an admirer of Leni, the protagonist of ''The White Hell of Pitz Palu'', which is shown in her cinema. Shosanna however shows low admiration for an actress and filmmaker known for her friendship with Hitler and his court.

She first trained as a dancer and played in several German films of the 1920s and 1930s. Five of these were successes, including ''The White Hell of Pitz Palu'' (''Die weisse Hölle vom Piz Palü'' -- if you haven't seen it, [[PopCulturalOsmosis you probably heard of it]] in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''). She then embraced a career in film directing during the rise of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany. Her first directed film was a fiction, ''Das Blaue Licht'' (''The Blue Light''), in 1932.

* She appears in the video game ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus''. In the game's AlternateTimeline, she's still a prominent film director in the Nazi-controlled world, still making movies for the Nazi war machine such as ''America: The New Order''. She also serves as Hitler's favorite film instructor, and [[BeleagueredAssistant reluctant caretaker]].

!!Portrayals in fiction:

Her most (in)famous directorial efforts were ''Film/TriumphOfTheWill'' (''Triumph des Willens'', about Nazi party rallies in Nuremberg, 1935), ''Olympia'' (about the 1936 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames of Berlin) and ''Tag der Freiheit: Unsere Wehrmacht'' (''Day of Freedom: Our Armed Forces'', about the [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German army]], 1935), documentaries counting among the most visually striking and influential {{propaganda|machine}} pieces ever filmed.[[note]]How influential? Ask Creator/GeorgeLucas. No, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB7kxCJwVAc seriously]].[[/note]]

She was arrested at the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, but classified as "fellow traveler" / "Nazi sympathiser" only and was not associated with the regime's war crimes and crimes against humanity. She was nonetheless prohibited from directing again and focused on photography instead. She had a particular interest in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuba_peoples the Nuba peoples]] of UsefulNotes/{{Sudan}} and underwater photography (she started underwater diving in her 70s and practiced it well into her 90s, no less). She passed away a few days after her 101st birthday in 2003.

She first trained as a dancer and played in several German films of the 1920s and 1930s. Five of these were successes, including ''The White Hell of Pitz Palu'' (''Die weisse Hölle vom Piz Palü'' -- if you haven't seen it, [[PopCulturalOsmosis you probably heard of it]] in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''). She then embraced a career in film directing during the rise of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany. Her first directed film was a fiction, ''Das Blaue Licht'' (''The Blue Light'').

She first trained as a dancer and played in several German films of the 1920s and 1930s. Five of these were successes, including ''The White Hell of Pitz Palu'' (''Die weisse Hölle vom Piz Palü'' -- if you haven't seen it, [[PopCulturalOsmosis you probably heard of it]] in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds''). She then embraced a career in film directing during the rise of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany.

* TroubledProduction: She completed the shooting of ''Tiefland'' (''Lowlands'') in 1944, but the war prevented her from editing it. She finished editing it in 1954.

* BannedInChina: Aside from the obvious ban on her Nazi propaganda works in modern Germany outside of educational purposes on the dangers of the ideology, her very first film of that kind, ''Sieg des Glaubens'' (''Victory of the Faith'') was banned in 1934 by the Nazi leadership itself. The reason for this was the prominent role the SA [[note]]the infamous "Brown Shirts", paramilitary units of the Nazi party during its political ascent[[/note]] had in it. The SA was purged of its leadership during the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934 and the organization's role was considerably reduced, so a work showing them prominently (and their --murdered-- leader Ernst Röhm especially) was not welcome anymore. A copy survived to this day still.

* BannedInChina: Aside from the obvious ban on her Nazi propaganda works in modern Germany outside of educational purposes on the dangers of the ideology, her very first film of that kind, ''Sieg des Glaubens'' (''Victory of the Faith'') was banned in 1934 by the Nazi leadership itself. The reason for this was the prominent role the SA [[note]]the infamous "Brown Shirts", paramilitary units of the Nazi party during its political ascent[[/note]] had in it. The SA was purged of its leadership during the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934 and the organization's role was considerably reduced, so a work showing them prominently was not welcome anymore. A copy survived to this day still.

Her most (in)famous directorial efforts were ''Film/TriumphOfTheWill'' (''Triumph des Willens'', documentary about Nazi party rallies in Nuremberg, 1935), ''Olympia'' (documentary about the 1936 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames of Berlin) and ''Tag der Freiheit: Unsere Wehrmacht'' (''Day of Freedom: Our Armed Forces'', about the [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German army]], 1935), documentaries counting among the most visually striking and influential {{propaganda|machine}} pieces ever filmed.[[note]]How influential? Ask Creator/GeorgeLucas. No, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB7kxCJwVAc seriously]].[[/note]]

Her most (in)famous directorial efforts were ''Film/TriumphOfTheWill'' (''Triumph des Willens'', documentary about Nazi party rallies in Nuremberg, 1935), ''Olympia'' (documentary about the 1936 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames of Berlin) and ''Tag der Freiheit: Unsere Wehrmacht'' (''Day of Freedom: Our Armed Forces'', about the [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German army]], 1935), {{propaganda|machine}} pieces among the most visually striking and influential ever filmed.[[note]]How influential? Ask Creator/GeorgeLucas. No, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB7kxCJwVAc seriously]].[[/note]]

She first trained as a dancer and played in several German films of the 1920s and 1930s. Five of these were successes, including ''The White Hell of Pitz Palu'' (''Die weisse Hölle vom Piz Palü''). She then embraced a career in film directing during the rise of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany.

* HeroicBuild: She filmed the athletes of the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936 like Greek gods for ''Olympia''. So much so that the film's French title literally translates as ''Gods of the Stadium''.

She was arrested at the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, but classified as "fellow traveler" / "Nazi sympathiser" only and was not associated with the regime's war crimes and crimes against humanity. She was nonetheless prohibited from directing again and focused on photography instead. She had a particular interest in [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuba_peoples the Nuba peoples]] of UsefulNotes/{{Sudan}} and underwater photography (she started underwater diving in her 70s, no less). She passed away a few days after her 101st birthday in 2003.

* NationalGeographicNudity: The photos and footage she took when living with the Nuba tribes of Sudan show plenty of male and female nudity, owing to their traditions.