7-49 Up

The 7 Up series is one of the most challenging and fascinating social experiments ever committed to film.

In 1964, the World in Action series, in conjunction with Granada Television, started a series of films (the first called Seven Up!) which would follow a series of children from the ages of 7 through a year of their lives and then revisit the subjects every 7 years. So thus far we have followed them through 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 with the 8th film due for release in 2012 with the now adults aged 56.

The initial idea sprang from the (slightly worrying) Jesuit dictum: "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man". Initially based across 14 participants, the first show was intended to reflect the society of Britain at the time and drew on a large cross-section of backgrounds and social standings. Over time, a number of the subjects have balked at the idea at having their life so cross-examined in the documentary format and have fallen away from the project.

Michael Apted (the director of the recent Amazing Grace and the announced helmsman of the next Narnia film), who began as a researcher on the first show, has seen the project through the years of 14-49, which is a truly incredible dedication to a single series of films and his assured style enables the contributing individuals to be utterly natural on camera (though admittedly this could be something to do with them having literally grown up on screen!).

Undoubtedly the most fascinating of the group is Neil, who seemed to be destined for a memorable life when young, before falling foul of Thatcher’s Britain and becoming homeless and riddled with mental health issues by the time of 21 Up, before rising once more to be prominent in local politics thanks to the intervention of one of other participating members.



Extras: Interviews and Commentaries by the participants and film-makers.

Released on DVD on 16th February 2009 by Network Releasing.

Written by Simon Cole.