Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations
Commissioned to make a propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, director Leni Riefenstahl created a celebration of the human form. This first half of her two-part film opens with a renowned introduction that compares modern Olympians to classical Greek heroes, then goes on to provide thrilling in-the-moment coverage of some of the games' most celebrated moments, including African-American athlete Jesse Owens winning a then-unprecedented four gold medals.
Release Date: 1938-04-21
Documentary
★★★★★★★★★★ (110 votes)
Casts
David Albritton
as Self - High Jump, USA (uncredited)
Jack Beresford
as Self - Carries British Flag (uncredited)
Henri de Baillet-Latour
as Self - IOC, Stands with Hitler, with Hurdlers (uncredited)
Philip Edwards
as Self - 800 Metres, Canada (uncredited)
Donald Finlay
as Self - 110m Hurdles, Great Britain (uncredited)
Joseph Goebbels
as Self - Spectator (uncredited)
Hermann Göring
as Self - Spectator (uncredited)
Rudolf Hess
as Self - Stands with Hitler (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler
as Self - Declares Games Open (uncredited)
King Umberto II
as Self - Stands with Hitler, Salutes Italian Team (uncredited)
