Tristram Powell

Tristram Roger Dymoke Powell (25 April 1940 – 1 March 2024) was an English television and film director, producer and screenwriter. His credits included American Friends, episodes of series five and six of Foyle's War, and adaptations of the novels The Ghost Writer and Falling.

Life and career Tristram Powell was born in Oxford, the elder son of the novelist Anthony Powell and Lady Violet Powell (née Pakenham). He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Oxford. His mother, Lady Violet, died in 2002.

Powell objected to the National Trust's 2017 short film about his godfather, Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer of Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk, in which the latter's private life as a homosexual was revealed. Powell said that the Trust had made the revelation for "commercial reasons" in a way he considered "exaggerated and mean-spirited".

Powell's daughter Georgia married Henry Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort, in 2018.

Tristram Powell died of leukaemia on 1 March 2024, at the age of 83.

Filmography

Director Year Film Notes 1968 Contrasts Episode: "A Writer and his Sword – A film about Japan's best-selling novelist, Yukio Mishima" 1978 The Lively Arts Episode: "A Haunted Man" 1981 No Country for Old Men (BBC Film) A Portrait of Jonathan Swift 1984 The Ghost Writer (TV) 1985 Arena Episode: "From an Immigrant's Notebook" 1987–1993 Screen Two 5 episodes 1988 Number 27BBC Film Written by Michael Palin Talking Heads Episode: "Soldiering On" 1991 American Friends 1992 The Old Devils Episodes: "Love, Lust and Litre Bottles", "Rhiannon's Boys", "Clapped-Out Casanovas" 1993 Selected Exits (TV) 1995 Tears Before Bedtime 4 episodes 1997 Drovers' Gold TV mini-series 1997–1999 Kavanagh QC Episodes: "Ancient History", "Previous Convictions", "End Game" 1998 Talking Heads 2 Episode: "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" 2000 Telling Tales Without Motive 3 episodes 2001 Anybody's Nightmare (TV) 2003 Sparkling Cyanide (TV) 2005 Falling (TV) 2005–2006 Judge John Deed Episodes: "In Defence of Others", "My Daughter, Right or Wrong" 2005–2008 Trial & Retribution Episodes: "The Lovers: Part 1", "Curriculum Vitae: Part 1", "Tracks: Part 1" 2006 The Commander Episode: "Blacklight" 2007–2008 Foyle's War Episodes: "Casualties of War", "Plan of Attack", "All Clear" 2009 Law & Order: UK Episode: "Paradise"