Was “Triumph of the Will” a documentary or propaganda?

There are many contrasting opinions on the subject. Some believe that the movie is a piece of Nazi propaganda meant to promote the Nazi image and discourage its enemies. Others believe it is a factual presentation of an event, without possessing any intentional propaganda. Whichever the answer, it is well known that Leni Riefenstahl’s career has been haunted by “Triumph of the Will” to this day.

To properly judge whether “Triumph of the Will” was a documentary or propaganda, an accurate definition must be stated. The word 'propaganda' derives from the name of an organisation set up in 1622 by the Roman Catholic Church to carry on missionary work, the “Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith” (Congregatio de Propaganda Fide). Today propaganda is seen as the systematic effort to manipulate other people’s beliefs, attitudes or actions. The propagandist has a specified goal or set of goals and to achieve these he deliberately selects facts, arguments, images...