The Making of Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia

In the spring of 1937 Leni Riefenstahl had only just started editing the 1st part of her magnum opus Olympia and it became clear that the film would not be ready for another year. The German authorities, who were financing the film, began to fear that these delays would have a negative impact on the future commercial success of the two Olympia films and so it was decided to create a promotional film, in English and in French, in order to maintain public interest for the film. In the spring of 1937 Leni Riefenstahl had only just started editing the 1st part of her magnum opus Olympia and it became clear that the film would not be ready for another year. The German authorities, who were financing the film, began to fear that these delays would have a negative impact on the future commercial success of the two Olympia films and so it was decided to create a promotional film, in English and in French, in order to maintain public interest for the film. In the spring of 1937 Leni Riefenstahl had only just started editing the 1st part of her magnum opus Olympia and it became clear that the film would not be ready for another year. The German authorities, who were financing the film, began to fear that these delays would have a negative impact on the future commercial success of the two Olympia films and so it was decided to create a promotional film, in English and in French, in order to maintain public interest for the film. In the spring of 1937 Leni Riefenstahl had only just started editing the 1st part of her magnum opus Olympia and it became clear that the film would not be ready for another year. The German authorities, who were financing the film, began to fear that these delays would have a negative impact on the future commercial success of the two Olympia films and so it was decided to create a promotional film, in English and in French, in order to maintain public interest for the film.