On September 9, 2003, Leni Riefenstahl, the German dancer, actress and filmmaker, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 101. Leni, born Helene Bertha Amalie Riefenstahl on August 22, 1902 in Berlin, is remembered as one of the most influential movie directors of all time. She began her career as a dancer, where she met the German playwright, director and producer Max Reinhardt. Under his guidance she began her career in the film industry as an actress, working most famously opposite the legendary Emil Jannings in her first major role in The Blue Light. As a filmmaker, Riefenstahl is best known for her two Nazi-era documentaries, Triumph of the Will and Olympia. In 1934, Riefenstahl was commissioned by the Nazi Party to document their national party rally in Nuremberg, and the resulting film, Triumph of the Will, was wildly successful and is regarded by many as one of the most powerful pieces of propaganda in film history. Riefenstahl's later film, Olympia, was an equally effective piece of filmmaking, documenting the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Riefenstahl's reputation was marred by her decision to work with the Nazi party, and she never fully recovered her standing in the film community. As a result, her later works, including the underwater documentary, The Last of the Nuba, remain largely overlooked. In the years before her passing, Riefenstahl occupied her time with her hobby of photography, traveling extensively around the world to take pictures of nature and wildlife. Leni Riefenstahl will be remembered as one of cinema's most ambitious and controversial directors whose impact on the industry is still felt today.