Thursday, 29 October 2026 at 7 pm
The documentary film Riefenstahl by Andres Veiel offers a portrait of one of the most controversial figures in film history, the German director Leni Riefenstahl, whose work is inextricably linked with the visual staging of National Socialism.
Drawing on extensive archival material, Veiel explores Riefenstahl's role in the film production of the Nazi regime, as well as the way she shaped her own life story, denied responsibility and insisted on a carefully constructed image of herself for decades. Going beyond a portrait of a historical figure, the film also raises broader questions about the power of moving images to shape our perception of reality, posing the crucial question: how is the illusion of truth created, and in what way can a staged reality be accepted as true?
After the screening, there will be a discussion on the relationship between image, truth, power and manipulation, featuring director Judita Gamulin and Germanist and cultural scholar Svjetlan Lacko Vidulić. They will discuss the ways in which visual narratives shape social reality, how images from the past continue to operate in the present, and the responsibility of the media and culture in creating, conveying and critically re-examining such representations. The conversation is moderated by Dina Pokrajac: film critic, curator and head of Dokukino.
The event is held as part of the Dokukino programme at Surogatkino KIC and the FAKAT! project, a Franco-German project by the French Embassy / Institut français and the Goethe-Institut Croatia dedicated to the role of culture in recognising and combating disinformation.
Admission is free.