Film Director, Actress, Leni Riefenstahl 1902 - 2003

July 1, 1936 - Berlin, Germany - Controversial film-maker LENI RIEFENSTAHL, who made the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will pictured during a last meeting with her crew, right before departure to Athens to shoot 'Olympia'. Riefenstahl became a favourite of German dictator Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, making films for his fascist regime. Riefenstahl is renowned in film history for developing new aesthetics in film, especially in relation to nude bodies. While the propaganda value of her early films repels many, their aesthetics are cited by many filmmakers as outstanding. (Credit Image: © KEYSTONE Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS.com)