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08-25-2001, 01:53 AM
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#1 of 57 
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Leni Riefenstahl finally slowing down....at age 99!
Sorry to hear she's having problems:
Quote:
BERLIN (Reuters) - Age is finally taking its toll on controversial Nazi-era filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, 98, who over the past year went scuba diving in the Maldives and continued to work on various photography projects.
In an interview with the German magazine Bunte released ahead of her 99th birthday Wednesday, Riefenstahl complained about severe back pain that required strong pain killers.
"I get a morphine infusion every eight hours," she said. Morphine is commonly used against severe pain but is highly addictive.
Riefenstahl gained international notoriety with her film "Triumph of the Will" on the 1934 Nazi party rally in Nuremberg, seen as glorifying Adolf Hitler, and followed this with a spectacular film of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Thereafter she was dubbed the Fuehrer's favorite filmmaker.
Even in her 90s she has remained active and in 2000 survived a dramatic helicopter crash in Sudan in Africa where she was taking photographs. Within months she had recovered well enough to spend two weeks diving in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.
"It is hard for a person who was at one time 100 percent active to experience a slowdown in strength," she said in the interview. "Illnesses increase and one is mentally not as fit any more."
Riefenstahl said she looked forward to her centennial celebration in a year's time.
Reuters/Variety
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That's one impressive woman - I'm 35 and wish I had HALF her energy!
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"Death's at the bottom of everything, Martins - leave death to the professionals!"
"Mind if I use that line in my next Western?"
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09-09-2003, 07:21 AM
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#2 of 57
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101 year old Leni Riefenstahl died Monday.
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09-09-2003, 09:19 AM
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#3 of 57
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09-09-2003, 09:48 AM
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#4 of 57
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Morning Edition had a segment on her today. She remained unapologetic for Triumph of Will, calling it a documentary, not propaganda.
Interesting person and filmmaker.
ˇTime is not my master!
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09-09-2003, 10:04 AM
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#5 of 57
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Morning Edition had a segment on her today.
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I heard it as well. I believe they also mentioned that she wished she had never made it, but I could be wrong.
--
H
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09-09-2003, 11:14 AM
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#6 of 57
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The recent release of The Holy Mountain by Kino features Riefenstahl in one of her first starring roles; there's some incredible mountain climbing footage as well.
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09-09-2003, 12:55 PM
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#7 of 57
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This may be morbid, or even in bad taste, but I have to wonder if Riefenstahl's death will be acknowledged at next year's Academy Awards?
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09-09-2003, 01:49 PM
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#8 of 57
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Steve, I think that's actually a fair question, and if we are going to be forward and honest about it I would then add that the large Jewish portion of Hollywood might not be so keen on having her mentioned.
Considering her place in film history it makes for a bit of a dilemma.
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09-09-2003, 02:19 PM
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#9 of 57
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Steve and Seth—interesting points. I would think that she is by far the least well known (by the general public) of really significant filmmakers. Plus there is not really much of a connection to the Academy.
I would imagine that her relative obscurity insofar as the general public is concerned will allow the Academy to give it amiss.
ˇTime is not my master!
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09-09-2003, 02:28 PM
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#10 of 57
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| She remained unapologetic for Triumph of Will, calling it a documentary, not propaganda. |
She also claimed there was not a single anti-semitic word in the documentary, and while Jews are not mentioned by name, there are references to racial purity, so I think she's being somewhat dishonest about it.
"Movies should be like amusement parks. People should go to them to have fun." - Billy Wilder
"Subtitles good. Hollywood bad." - Tarzan, Sight & Sound 2012 voter.
"My films are not slices of life, they are pieces of cake." - Alfred Hitchcock
"My great humility is just one of the many reasons that I am vastly superior to everyone else." - Ramrod Clerk
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09-09-2003, 03:03 PM
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#11 of 57
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Quote:
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101 year old Leni Riefenstahl died Monday.
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Given that she was so dishonest about other matters, I would not be surprised if she lied about her age.
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That's one impressive woman
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Not a word I would use to describe her, but perhaps the words I would choose are not appropriate for posting on a public forum. |
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