Hitler's favourite filmmaker always denied she was a Nazi. Now we know the truth
The documentary also argues Riefenstahl was an eyewitness to Nazis murdering Jews in Poland in 1939 and Romany children who had worked as extras on her film Lowlands in 1941.
While it might seem esoteric to debate the reputation of a long-dead filmmaker, Veiel said the visually striking aesthetics that Riefenstahl pioneered were being revived to support powerful leaders globally. He first noticed it watching a Moscow military parade in 2022.
'I thought, it's Triumph of the Will,' he said. 'It's the low-angle shot on Putin, it's the marching soldiers and you have the strength and the celebration of the courageous soldier fighting the so-called Nazis in Ukraine.'
Veiel said he was troubled that concepts embodied in Olympia – the celebration of the beautiful, strong and victorious while disregarding anyone who falls short – were being spread by the resurgent far right.
'When you think of Hitler, he was not the tough, bright guy,' he said. 'So he projected heroism into the so-called German race.'
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"Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect," Lucasfilm said in a statement. "With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms Carano in the near future." The two sides stipulated in a federal court filing on Thursday that the case should be dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. A judge still needs to formally dismiss it. The case had been scheduled to go to trial in Los Angeles in February 2026. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California last year, alleged Carano was wrongfully terminated from the "Star Wars" galaxy Disney+ series in 2021 after two seasons due to a post likening the treatment of American conservatives to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany. Her posts were widely criticised online and spurred a trending #FireGinaCarano hashtag. "I'd like to thank you all for your unrelenting support throughout my life and career, you've been the heartbeat that has kept my story alive. I hope to make you proud," Carano wrote in a statement on Thursday. "I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me." Carano thanked Elon Musk for helping fund the lawsuit "and asking for nothing in return". The suit had alleged that the 43-year-old actor was fired because she "dared voice her own opinions" against an "online bully mob who demanded her compliance with their extreme progressive ideology". Carano is a former mixed martial artist who played the recurring character Cara Dune on the show, which launched in 2019 and ran for three seasons. A feature film starring Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is set for release next northen summer. Carano had previously been criticised for mocking mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic and making false allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Actor Gina Carano has settled her federal lawsuit against Lucasfilm and its parent company Walt Disney over her claim she was fired from The Mandalorian for expressing right-wing views on social media. The specific terms of the agreement were not made available. "Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect," Lucasfilm said in a statement. "With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms Carano in the near future." The two sides stipulated in a federal court filing on Thursday that the case should be dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. A judge still needs to formally dismiss it. The case had been scheduled to go to trial in Los Angeles in February 2026. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California last year, alleged Carano was wrongfully terminated from the "Star Wars" galaxy Disney+ series in 2021 after two seasons due to a post likening the treatment of American conservatives to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany. Her posts were widely criticised online and spurred a trending #FireGinaCarano hashtag. "I'd like to thank you all for your unrelenting support throughout my life and career, you've been the heartbeat that has kept my story alive. I hope to make you proud," Carano wrote in a statement on Thursday. "I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me." Carano thanked Elon Musk for helping fund the lawsuit "and asking for nothing in return". The suit had alleged that the 43-year-old actor was fired because she "dared voice her own opinions" against an "online bully mob who demanded her compliance with their extreme progressive ideology". Carano is a former mixed martial artist who played the recurring character Cara Dune on the show, which launched in 2019 and ran for three seasons. A feature film starring Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is set for release next northen summer. Carano had previously been criticised for mocking mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic and making false allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Actor Gina Carano has settled her federal lawsuit against Lucasfilm and its parent company Walt Disney over her claim she was fired from The Mandalorian for expressing right-wing views on social media. The specific terms of the agreement were not made available. "Ms. Carano was always well respected by her directors, co-stars, and staff, and she worked hard to perfect her craft while treating her colleagues with kindness and respect," Lucasfilm said in a statement. "With this lawsuit concluded, we look forward to identifying opportunities to work together with Ms Carano in the near future." The two sides stipulated in a federal court filing on Thursday that the case should be dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. A judge still needs to formally dismiss it. The case had been scheduled to go to trial in Los Angeles in February 2026. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California last year, alleged Carano was wrongfully terminated from the "Star Wars" galaxy Disney+ series in 2021 after two seasons due to a post likening the treatment of American conservatives to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany. Her posts were widely criticised online and spurred a trending #FireGinaCarano hashtag. "I'd like to thank you all for your unrelenting support throughout my life and career, you've been the heartbeat that has kept my story alive. I hope to make you proud," Carano wrote in a statement on Thursday. "I am excited to flip the page and move onto the next chapter. My desires remain in the arts, which is where I hope you will join me." Carano thanked Elon Musk for helping fund the lawsuit "and asking for nothing in return". The suit had alleged that the 43-year-old actor was fired because she "dared voice her own opinions" against an "online bully mob who demanded her compliance with their extreme progressive ideology". Carano is a former mixed martial artist who played the recurring character Cara Dune on the show, which launched in 2019 and ran for three seasons. A feature film starring Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is set for release next northen summer. Carano had previously been criticised for mocking mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic and making false allegations of voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election.
