Screening of 'Harriet at Play' Q&A with BAFTA winning Director Tony Palmer

Harriet at Play is a short-form documentary made in the early 1970s (circa 1973-74) for British television. It follows the presenter, Harriet Crawley, as she immerses herself in a variety of roles over a month-long stay at a popular holiday camp (an example being the iconic UK resort Butlins Minehead).

The film uses this setting to explore themes of leisure culture, work-play balance, identity and performance. Harriet is shown trying on different professions (for example circus trainer, entertainer, or other camp roles), thereby testing how social roles are constructed and performed in this concentrated bubble of holiday life.

Visually, the documentary uses 16 mm film and brings a quietly observational yet unsettling tone: while the holiday camp appears cheerful and carefree on the surface, underlying dynamics (such as labor, performance, boredom, improbabilities of escape) begin to stir a more reflective mood in the viewer.

Tony Palmer – Film Director & Documentarian

Tony Palmer (b. 1941, London) is a British film director and writer whose pioneering work redefined the relationship between music and cinema. A graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, he rose to prominence in the 1960s with groundbreaking documentaries such as All My Loving (1968) and Bird on a Wire (1974) with Leonard Cohen, capturing the creative and political energy of the era.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Palmer has directed over a hundred films, from his epic Wagner (1983) starring Richard Burton to acclaimed portraits of Shostakovich, Maria Callas, Vaughan Williams, and The Beatles.

Widely regarded as one of the most important British documentarians of the late 20th century, Palmer has received two BAFTA awards, two Prix Italia, and twelve gold medals at international film festivals. Though not a mainstream celebrity, he holds legendary status among musicians, filmmakers, and critics for his innovative, poetic approach and enduring influence on the modern music documentary.