The Dictator's Muse

Viac o knihe

In the early 1930s, as Europe braces for the impending turmoil of World War II, preparations for the Berlin Olympics unfold under Hitler's tightening grip. Leni Riefenstahl, a pioneering filmmaker and symbol of the Third Reich's sexual liberation, is tasked with capturing the Olympic spirit on film. However, she soon realizes that even those closest to Hitler live in fear. Kim Newlands, an English athlete backed by the Blackshirts, is torn between his ambition for Olympic gold and his commitment to his glamorous girlfriend, Connie. To succeed, he must adopt a false identity. Meanwhile, Alun Pryce, a Welsh communist, infiltrates the Blackshirts with the intent to expose their ideology. As he befriends Kim and Connie, his conviction that the end justifies the means faces a severe test. Leni's lens and memoirs allow her to shape the narrative of their intersecting lives during the Olympics, but not all moments make it to the final cut, leaving some truths lingering in the shadows. The tension between ambition, ideology, and personal relationships unfolds against a backdrop of historical significance, revealing the complexities of truth and manipulation in a time of crisis.