"She was Hitler's favourite director. She was beautiful and talented. She was a woman in a man's field. Three strikes and you're out."
             Born Helene Bertha Amalie Riefenstahl was born August 22 1902, Leni Riefenstahl would ultimately prove to be one of the most controversial and influential females to be involved in an artistic field.
             At merely four years old, Leni began to write poetry and paint. At age twelve, she joined a local gymnastics and swim club. At a very early age, Leni's mother noticed that she was very artistically inclined. She saw Leni had the ability to paint with a natural understanding of composition and balance. These two qualities would stand out in some of Leni's later films.
             At a young age Leni visited the theatre to see the play "Snow White". That day set a benchmark in her life, and from then onwards all she wanted to do was dance. Her father did not support her, he wished that she would take up the family business or another suitable profession. He wanted to provide Leni with an education that would lead her into a profession that he considered respectable. Her passion for dancing continued to grow, and despite what her father said, her mother continued to take Leni to ballet. By 1910, Leni was very fond of dance and she decided to enroll in a small dance program in Berlin called the Grimm-Reiter School. Her training continued, and the family found it difficult to keep her love for dance a secret from her father. He soon found out and was outraged at the idea of Leni becoming a dancer. Alfred believed so little of his daughter and her talents and in an effort to spite her, entered her into Berlin's most prestigious ballet school. He thought by enrolling her in such a prestigious dancing school she would soon realize she lacked talent and she would have to listen to her father and pursue another career. This was not to be the case. Leni's teacher...