Leni Riefenstahl: Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics Film Reel

Original Tobis-Degeto 8 mm film reel (1/3) entitled ‘Turmspringen Olympia 1936’ (Olympic Diving 1936), which is part of Leni Riefenstahl's 1938 film Olympia, the first documentary on the Olympic Games ever made. Housed in its original golden cardboard sleeve (titles in German printed on spine) and its red cardboard slipcase. In fine condition, with some wear to holders.

Documenting the Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics, Riefenstahl's Olympia won awards at the Venice International Film Festival (1938), the Lausanne International Film Festival (1948), as well as the National Film Prize (1937-38) and the Olympic Gold Medal of the Comitè International Olympique (1939). Riefenstahl revolutionized motion pictures and used techniques such as extreme close-ups, unusual camera angles, and setting railway tracks to capture the athletes and the crowd. At the time this kind of film-making was groundbreaking and virtually unknown. In 1956, despite the controversy due to its political content, Olympia was classified as one of the world's ten best films and Time magazine included it in its 'All-Time 100 movies.'