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More has been written about Leni Riefenstahl’s OLYMPIA than about any other sports documentary in history. Starting with a long and lyrical overture—evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece—Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in FESTIVAL OF THE NATIONS, culminating with the marathon. Despite the film's fascist origins, OLYMPIA has achieved a certain respectability and endures as a monument of cinema— and of a malevolent ideology.
Original Release
01/01/1938
US Release
03/08/1940
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| David Albritton | Self - High Jump, USA |
| Arvo Askola | Self - 10000 Metres, FIN |
| Jack Beresford | Self - Carries British Flag |
| Erwin Blask | Self - Hammer Throw, German |
| Sulo Bärlund | Self - Shot Put, Finland |
| Ibolya Csák | Self - High Jump, Hungary |
| Glenn Cunningham | Self |
| Henri de Baillet-Latour | Self - IOC, Stands with Hitler, with Hurdlers |
| Philip Edwards | Self - 800 Metres, Canada |
| Donald Finlay | Self - 110m Hurdles, GB |
Directors
Writers
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| David Albritton | Self - High Jump, USA |
| Arvo Askola | Self - 10000 Metres, FIN |
| Jack Beresford | Self - Carries British Flag |
| Erwin Blask | Self - Hammer Throw, German |
| Sulo Bärlund | Self - Shot Put, Finland |
| Ibolya Csák | Self - High Jump, Hungary |
| Glenn Cunningham | Self |
| Henri de Baillet-Latour | Self - IOC, Stands with Hitler, with Hurdlers |
| Philip Edwards | Self - 800 Metres, Canada |
| Donald Finlay | Self - 110m Hurdles, GB |
| Tilly Fleischer | Self - Javelin Throw, Germany |
| Wilhelm Frick | Self - Spectator |
| Joseph Goebbels | Self - Spectator |
| Hermann Göring | Self - Spectator |
| Ernest Harper | Self - Marathon, GB |
| Karl Hein | Self - Hammer Throw, Germany |
| Rudolf Hess | Self - Stands with Hitler |
| Adolf Hitler | Self - Declares Games Open |
| Volmari Iso-Hollo | Self - 10000 Metres, FIN |
| Cornelius Johnson | Self - High Jump, USA |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Leni Riefenstahl | Producer |
Editors
