Olympia at Broadway -- a rare treat for cinema-goers

Nottingham's Broadway cinema is giving film fans the rare opportunity to see Leni Riefenstahl's Olympia, commissioned by Hitler to document the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Widely recognised as one of the greatest films of all-time, Olympia is controversial due to its political context. The film set a precedent for both future Olympic films and televised sport and Riefenstahl's groundbreaking filmmaking techniques — including unusual camera angles and close-ups — went on to become industry standard. The screening takes place on Tuesday 17 July, when an academic from The University of Nottingham will put Olympia in context in what's believed to be a UK first — taking philosophy into the cinema. Getting philosophical Professor Stephen Mumford , Dean of the Faculty of Arts, will explore key philosophical questions about whether the film can still be considered beautiful, despite its association with Nazi propaganda. "It still deserves our attention, even though at times it may be an uncomfortable watch," he said. "I can understand why it is rare for Olympia to be screened — it was a Nazi film — and some elements could be considered to be glorifying Nazism," said Professor Mumford.