Der Berg des Schicksals

This film is not very interesting or important in its own right. However, it was the movie which inspired Leni Riefenstahl to get into film-making.

She was a dancer in the early twenties and her eye was caught one day by a movie poster in a train station. She missed the train but saw the movie: "Berg des schicksals" (Mountain of Destiny). The scenes which particularly inspired her were scenes of dramatic cliffs and mountains in silhouette, with mountaineers braving the void as they climbed them. Riefenstahl contacted the main actor and Fanck, the director, and completely charmed them. Fanck wrote the script for his next movie around Leni, and her acting career took off.

The story is told in the interesting documentary "The wonderful horrible life of Leni Riefenstahl" from 1993.

So, a rather humdrum "mountain movie" with mainly beautiful scenery, but one which has its place in film history.