Nazi filmmaker as a "strange granny" Discussion about controversial Nuba pictures by Leni Riefenstahl
Leni Riefenstahl was a controversial Nazi filmmaker who made films for Adolf Hitler. Her images of the indigenous Nuba people went around the world. How do the descendants view the footage?
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- The estate of Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl is being examined in a research project.
- It involves 10,000 photographs and films that Riefenstahl took of the indigenous Nuba people in southern Sudan.
- The people photographed would not have known what Riefenstahl would do with the material.
For years, the legacy of Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl remained unexplored. Now, for the first time, scientists from Germany and Sudan have joined forces in a two-year research project to examine the legacy of the controversial filmmaker.
They focused on around 10,000 photographs and films that Riefenstahl (1902-2003) took of the indigenous Nuba people in the Nuba Mountains in southern Sudan. The results are to be discussed at a symposium in Berlin this weekend.
The photographs and films must be seen in a colonial and racist context, as participating researchers said at a press conference.
Nuba saw Riefenstahl as a "strange granny"
The people photographed did not know what Riefenstahl would do with the material, said Sudanese researcher Guma Kunda Komey from the Pan Nuba Council. They would have seen her as a "strange granny" and were unaware of the controversies surrounding the filmmaker, and would even have had a certain respect for her.
The photos were published in two illustrated books that went around the world. "When they found out what was really going on, people felt exploited. They see themselves as the ones who own the photos. They are demanding compensation," said Komey.
The Nuba consist of 50 different ethnic groups, divided into ten different language groups. The famous pictures, which were taken in the 60s and 70s, show the Nuba with typical tribal face painting or with weapons used in battle.
Legacy is an enrichment for current generations
Despite the criticism, the documents are also a huge enrichment for the current Nuba generations, said Komey. They enable them to come into contact with their history, to see how their ancestors actually lived and to feel like proud Nuba. At the locations where the pictures were taken, the researchers met people who still remembered Riefenstahl and were photographed by her.
The 700 boxes from Riefenstahl's estate were donated to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in 2018. The holdings were divided between the Berlin State Library, the Art Library, the Ethnological Museum and the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek (SDK) and researched. They include photographic and film collections, manuscripts, letters, daily calendars, files and documents as well as press clippings and books.
Documentary film released
The director filmed for Adolf Hitler and became famous with Nazi propaganda films such as "Triumph of the Will", but always presented herself as apolitical. The documentary "Riefenstahl" by Andres Veiel was recently released. It was produced by presenter and TV producer Sandra Maischberger and also deals with the estate of the controversial artist.
dpa