Films Directed by Leni Riefenstahl

Impressionen unter Wasser (2002)

JAPANESE THEATRICAL RELEASE POSTER, 2002

Called by German newspaper Die Welt, " The Film Sensation of the Year", Leni Riefenstahl released her first film since 1954's Tiefland in August 2002. The film runs approximately 51 minutes in length and was shot over the last several decades on a variety of dives, primarily throughout the Maldives and the Indian Ocean.

BBC online quotes Riefenstahl as saying "I made more than 2,000 dives for this film". Further she reports that the "film will have its premiere in time for my 100th birthday, in August." The film includes the music score of Giorgio Morodor and photography by her long time companion and cinematographer, Horst Kettner.

The premiere in Berlin was widely regarded as the ticket to have, though reports are that Riefenstahl was rather disappointed by the resolution / image quality after the project had been moved out of digital to celluloid projection.

Leni Riefenstahl did tell Patrick Zarate of Das Blaue Licht .Net (who was able to preview over 20 minutes of the completed film with the 99 year old director) that there would be eventually be a DVD release of Impressionen unter Wasser. The DVD will include notations on the depicted sea life by Riefenstahl as well as a biographical supplement.

[Note: Region 2 DVD Release of this film occurred August 2003]

Arte TV premiered the film for the public on a televised European broadcast August 15, 2002.

( See Trip to Germany for more on the visit Zarate had with Leni Riefenstahl)