Center (TPH) is proud to present a special one-night-only screening of “Riefenstahl” on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at its Bronxville theater. The screening will be followed by a live, in-person Q&A with acclaimed writer and director Andres Veiel, one of Germany’s most celebrated documentarians and dramatists.

“Riefenstahl is a remarkable film that challenges us to look closely at how art, power, and ideology intersect,” said Clayton Bushong, Executive Director of The Picture House Regional Film Center. “It’s a powerful reminder of why film matters – not only as an art form, but as a mirror for our collective conscience. We’re honored to welcome Andres Veiel and to bring this extraordinary work to our Westchester audience.”

Riefenstahl is a gripping, meticulously researched documentary  that confronts the life and legacy ofLeni Riefenstahl, one of the most controversial figures of the 20th century. A filmmaker and actress who rose to prominence under the
Nazi regime, Riefenstahl directed propaganda films such as “Triumph of the Will” and “Olympia” — works
that defined the fascist aesthetic with their glorification of power, perfection, and control.

Veiel’s film probes the central question of her complicity: How did Riefenstahl become the Reich’s preeminent filmmaker if she was merely “a hired hand”? Using never-before-seen materials from Riefenstahl’s personal estate
— including private films, letters, photos, and recordings — Riefenstahl reconstructs the myth and the machinery behind her image. The result is a sobering exploration of denial, artistry, and moral blindness that resonates powerfully in today’s media-saturated world.

In a time when political propaganda, image manipulation, and ideological extremism are again on the rise, Riefenstahl offers a compelling lens through which to examine how aesthetics and power intertwine — and how history continues to repeat itself.