Films Starring Leni Riefenstahl

Der Heilige Berg (1926)

Leni Riefenstahl in her first feature film.

Leni Riefenstahl relates that she found her way into movies, by fate or accident. Apparently, on her way to a medical appointment (regarding a dance injury) Riefenstahl saw a dramatically rendered poster for one of Arnold Fanck's films (Mountains of Destiny) hanging in a Berlin subway. Forgetting her physical matters, Riefenstahl seeks out and views the movie on that very day. The imagery in Destiny of peaks,  clouds, light and shadow were an immediate draw for her.

Drawn to visit the film's locale, Riefenstahl "coincidentally" runs into the mountain genre's star, Luis Trenker at a hotel nearby.  She insists that he forward her image and dance portfolio to Fanck. Upon receiving it, Fanck immediately replied to Trenker "be sure that you get on with her, she will be in our next film."

German Poster, original release (1926)

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