Olympia

After being commissioned by the 1936 Olympic committee to create a feature film of the Berlin Olympics, Riefenstahl made a film that celebrates the human body by combining the poetry of bodies in motion with close-ups of athletes in the heat of competition. Part I, "The Festival of the People," includes the carrying of the flame from Greece, the lighting of the torch and the track-and-field events where American runner Jessie Owens won an unprecedented four gold medals. Arte ed. 2 videodiscs (204 min.) : sound, black and white ; 4 3/4 in.