49 Up

A quiet, cumulative portrait that lets ordinary lives unfold across decades, leaving you reflective and unexpectedly moved by time's passage.

Directed by

Michael Apted

Genres

Documentary

Starring

Bruce Balden, Jacqueline Bassett, Symon Basterfield

Tagline

In 1964 a group of seven year old children were interviewed for the documentary "Seven Up". They've been filmed every seven years since. Now they are 49.

Overview

49 Up is the seventh film in a series of landmark documentaries that began 42 years ago when UK-based Granada's World in Action team, inspired by the Jesuit maxim "Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man," interviewed a diverse group of seven-year-old children from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Michael Apted, a researcher for the original film, has returned to interview the "children" every seven years since, at ages 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and now again at age 49.In this latest chapter, more life-changing decisions are revealed, more shocking announcements made and more of the original group take part than ever before, speaking out on a variety of subjects including love, marriage, career, class and prejudice.

How it feels

Melancholic, earnest, warm and bleak. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Aging, class, identity, family

Content

Mild sexual content and language. No violence or gore.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)