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Everything is politics. And in the glamorous industry of filmmaking, sometimes it’s not just what you do or how well you do it; it’s mainly who you know. For late German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, this was a lesson learned the hard way.

An actress turned director turned photographer, Riefenstahl was a woman of many talents. It was not, however, until an admirer by the name of Adolf Hitler asked her to direct a film that her revolutionary style and notorious relationship with the Nazi leader helped her become recognized as one of the most controversial filmmakers of her time.

Her two most famous documentaries, “The Triumph of the Will” and “Olympia,” were seen as definitive propaganda films for Nazified Germany that cost her a career as a filmmaker.

According to Andrea Alsberg, co-head of public programming at the Archive who put on the series, the series aims to show audiences the breadth of Riefenstahl’s work and to shed light on her most influential, yet controversial, films.

“We were approached by the Institute to do a program a year after her death,” Alsberg said. “But it was also intuitive given the political situation today.”

While it can hardly be said that the past election was anything close to the political horror that took place in Europe in the 1930s, the documentaries of both time periods radiate propaganda sentiment. Today, in documentaries such as “Fahrenheit 9/11”, filmmakers like Michael Moore express their own political views. Riefenstahl, however, was voicing someone else’s opinion – that of Hitler and his Nazi regime. Still, Riefenstahl had always regarded herself as apolitical.

“(Riefenstahl) denied that those were her politics throughout her life,” Alsberg said. “But ‘Triumph’ was blatant propaganda. Even in her earlier entertainment films, you can see elements of what would later become her propaganda.”

Riefenstahl’s association with Hitler was truly a double-edged sword. On one hand, it had established her name as a filmmaker; on the other, it had killed her career.

“Maybe she was at the right place at the right time,” Alsberg said. “Or, she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Had Riefenstahl had other material, would she have created a masterpiece? You just don’t know.”

And while her work has raised questions for decades, it might be her character that creates even more controversy than her films ever could alone.

She was the biggest liar in the world,” said film professor Marina Goldovskaya, who specializes in documentary filmmaking. “I cannot blame her for her films, but I blame her for never having said, ‘I am guilty.’ She was very much under Hitler’s spell.”

In “Triumph,” Riefenstahl filmed the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg under Hitler’s insistence. “Olympia” documented the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Both films were artistic achievements in editing, rhythm and structure, especially “Olympia,” whose diving sequence established Riefenstahl’s innovative use of montage and splicing.

Both films also glorified Nazism. And though “Olympia” devoted much footage to black track athlete Jesse Owens, its celebration of the human form was a prime example of the significance of “Aryan” beauty to Nazi aesthetics.

“Documentary has a strong impact on audiences because of its real location, real people and real events,” Goldovskaya said. “That’s why it’s so important to be morally and ethically honest.”

Despite the elusive truth, Riefenstahl’s gift as a filmmaker is evident.

“In essence, if you can separate the fact that she made these films and actually look at her filmmaking, in a way, it’s a pity,” Alsberg said. “She was a really fine filmmaker. Her editing is unbelievable; it’s superb. Her talent was used for terrible reasons, and she’s very much to blame. But if you take all that away, her films are so fascinating.”

Perhaps by showing films such as “Triumph,” the series will also shed light on Riefenstahl, whose life story can be described as a triumph of the will itself.

“I am happy that the Archive is making this series. It will make people think,” said Goldovskaya. “Some people don’t think, they just accept that she’s a genius. I think (this program) will make people question that.”