4:54 min | 1938 | Germany
Director: Leni Riefenstahl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwmYFz01MxA
Final Diving Sequence from 1936 Olympics
Commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, ‘Olympia’ was the first documentary film on the Olympic Games ever made. Controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, who had made the Nazi propaganda film ‘Triumph of the Will’ in 1934-35, created ‘Olympia’ and many have argued that Olympia is not merely propaganda, but had many dissenting features, including the glorified portrayal of African American runner Jesse Owens willing a gold medal. Many advanced motion picture techniques, which later became industry standards but which were groundbreaking at the time, were employed, including unusual camera angles, smash cuts and extreme close-ups. The techniques employed are almost universally admired, but the film is controversial due to its political content.
