This documentary unpacks the making of Smash Palace. Cast and crew recall Donaldson’s improvisational style and share stories from the central North Island set, while Geoff Murphy praises his leadership. Donaldson’s casting proved crucial to the film’s success: actors Bruno Lawrence, Greer Robson, Keith Aberdein and Anna Maria Monticelli all come in for praise. The iconic 1981 drama had a shaky start, with the NZ Film Commission finding an early draft “too personal”.
