Olympia: Part One – Festival of the Nations

Movie

Documentary

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.

Date: 04/21/1938

Rating: 6.8

Cast: David Albritton, Arvo Askola, Jack Beresford, Erwin Blask, Sulo Bärlund, Ibolya Csák, Glenn Cunningham, Henri de Baillet-Latour, Philip Edwards, Donald Finlay, Tilly Fleischer, Wilhelm Frick, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Göring, Ernest Harper, Karl Hein, Heinz Herman, Rudolf Heß, Adolf Hitler, Volmari Iso-Hollo, Cornelius Johnson, Matti Järvinen, Elfriede Kaun, King Umberto II, Kalevi Kotkas, Gustaf Alfons Koutonen, Luise Krüger, Maria Kwasniewska, Theodor Lewald, Luz Long, Spiridon Louis, John Lovelock, Gisela Mauermayer, Earle Meadows, Ralph Metcalfe, Paula Mollenhauer, Väinö Muinonen, Seung-yong Nam, Henri Nannen, Yrjö Nikkanen, Shûhei Nishida, Paavo Nurmi, Dorothy Odam, Martinus Osendarp, Jesse Owens, Leni Riefenstahl, Mack Robinson, Ilmari Salminen, Julius Schaub, Kee-chung Sohn, Julius Streicher, Gerhard Stöck, Naoto Tajima, Erkki Tamila, Kalervo Toivonen, Forrest Towns, Werner von Blomberg, August von Mackensen, Hans von Tschammer und Osten, Hans Woellke, Sueo Ôe

David Albritton