the UP series

so the boyfriend and i have been watching this truly amazing documentary series called the UP series. it started with interviews of 14 seven year olds in england in 1964 and it's partciular beauty is that the filmmakers return every seven years to interview the children as they grow up (7,14,21,28,35,42,49...). the 14 children were spread over a large socio-economic background ranging from lower to upper classes, including public and private schools. the entire premise of the series is based on the Jesuit motto "give me a child until he is seven and i will give you the man" which is apparently based on a quote by Francis Xavier. the idea of the series is quite frankly brilliant, and i consider it to likely be the most important documentary in our history, and perhaps future. and an example of film being used for true good (so rare these days). the director, Michael Apted, was involved in the first two series as a researcher and apparently helped to select the children that were eventually featured, and he took over directing duties on i believe 21 up. we have watched the series over the last two + weeks (thank you netflix) and i have just become so incredibly fascinated and invested in these people's lives. we are soon to watch 49 Up - taking place when the children are now 49 - which was just relased in the US this November.

some of the children/adults, have dropped out over time and others have opted out of one but come back for more. others have been surprisingly dedicated. most have been unflinchingly honest i think. i know i would have not liked to have been one of them under observation, but i like to think that had i been in their position i would see how important the project is and have the foresight to understand how important my continued participation would be. some things are bigger than us all, and this is one of those things.

Spoiler Alert:

i am most disappointed in charles. one of my favorites from the very beginning, he was one of three upperclass boys that was interviewed and unlike john and andrew, at 14 and 21 he had seemed to go in a different direction. they had all been so the same at 7 - being cute and funny and finishing each other's sentences. but at 14 and 21 charles opts for jeans and long hair instead of suits and "proper school boy cuts" like john and andrew and he is clearly headed in a very different direction. he drops out after 21 and viewers are told that he has become a writer and then later a documentary film producer etc. this is exceedingly disappointing. i feel like as a person involved with documentary films he above all others should understand the importance of this series. and as a viewer i am just desperate to hear his grown up opinion - he was turning into such an interesting individual - and so different from his childhood friends - it's really unfortunate. i'm sure he has more than valid reasons for bailing out - not the least of which is that it is always unpleasant to be looked at under a microscope, but it is disappointing to lose his intelligent point of view. also i read online that he attempted to sue Apted for the removal of footage of him in future films. extremely disappointing. particularly for someone working in documentary fillms.

others drop out here and there and some come back, some don't, but nobody's absense is felt as intently (at least for me) as charles.

nick is always a bright spot in the interviews. he is so bright and charming and has such a good attitude about life in general. he has an incredible way of looking at things. and he came from a very modest country background, which is maybe the very reason he is so well balanced.

neil hughes is by far my favorite and the most interesting and heartbreaking and uplifting and moving and frustrating (he was the cutest at 7 and is the most interesting now). he exemplifies for me, the human experience, and how not fitting into the pre-existing mold is a battle that some people will fight all their lives (well after 7 at least) and some will win and some will lose. fortunately for me, neil seems to finally be winning, if not the war, then at least some of the battles.

there is much discussion (mostly on the internet) that this began as a political documentary but has turned into a human and existential documentary. i agree. there are political elements still, but the human and existential have far outweighed the political.

for any viewers anxious to put the entire series into their queue after reading this, a couple of thoughts. first of all, watching them all at once, strung together, there is a lot of overlap. keep in mind that these were intended to be viewed 7 years apart, so there is a lot of "catching the viewer up" so you see a lot of material over and over again if you are watching them back to back. that said, if you watch them all together be prepared for how attached you may become to them. i feel completely connected to these people after spending a good 12 to 14 hours getting a peek into their lives. and i am actually quite nervous about finishing 49 and having to wait 7 years until 56. although i am also quite anxious for that experience. i will then be 37 and i expect it will be an incredibly reflective moment to watch them at 56 and think of everything they have been through and to then look at my own life and see where i am and have been in relation to being 30 when i saw them at 49.

this has been a life changing documentary for me. so a thank you to all the participants (Tony, Symon, Paul, Suzy, Jackie, Lynn, Sue, Bruce, John, Charles, Nick, Andrew, Peter and especially Neil) and the visionary filmmakers and artists that made it not only possible, but successful.