The Holy Mountain (1926 film)

The Holy Mountain (Der heilige Berg) is a 1926 German mountain film directed by Arnold Fanck and starring Leni Riefenstahl, Luis Trenker and Frida Richard. It was the future filmmaker Riefenstahl's first screen appearance as an actress. Written by Arnold Fanck and Hans Schneeberger, the film is about a dancer who meets and falls in love with an engineer at his cottage in the mountains. After she gives her scarf to one of his friends, the infatuated friend mistakenly believes that she loves him. When the engineer sees her innocently comforting his friend, he mistakenly believes she is betraying him.

Cast

 * Leni Riefenstahl as Diotima
 * Luis Trenker as Karl
 * Frida Richard as Mother
 * Ernst Petersen as Vigo
 * Friedrich Schneider as Colli
 * Hannes Schneider as Mountain Guide

Production
The film began production in January 1925, but then was delayed due to weather and hospitalization of three actors. The film cost to produce (equivalent to € million in ), and was released during the 1926 Christmas season.

Release and reception
Popular in Berlin, where sold-out performances extended its premiere run for five weeks, it was also screened in Britain, France and US: the first international success of its director. Some critics were not impressed with the film, one of the most expensive efforts released by the German studio UFA in a year which was otherwise marked by a policy of retrenchment and the departure of respected studio head Erich Pommer. The film was compared unfavourably with the much less costly Madame Wants No Children directed by Alexander Korda.

The Holy Mountain was released on DVD in the by Kino Video on 12 August 2003 and by Eureka Video on 21 June 2004. The film was re-released by both Kino Video on 24 April 2018.