The 49 UP documentary series is an incredible experience that every parent should make time for. It began in 1964 and has grown to become a collection of seven documentaries that has followed the lives of 14 British children every seven years from the age of seven to 49 in the most recent release. The premise of the film was taken from the Jesuit motto “Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man‚which is based on a quote by Francis Xavier.
It’s fascinating to see the these adorable little children on the playground talk about their hopes and dreams and then instantly cut forward seven years, fourteen years, twenty one years and so on. It is amazing to see how some of the boys and girls had a keen sense of what they were going to be when they grew up while others were totally clueless.
I think this series which started in 1964 was like the first reality TV show. There is so much to learn from this series and so much to enjoy as well. It forces you to remember your own youth and the things you hoped and dreamed for as well as some of your friends. It naturally makes you feel reflective and at the same time inspired to do more with your own life. Sure, we are not under the scrutiny of a film crew every seven years, but we shouldn’t need such pressure to stay focused on our aspirations in life. As a matter of fact, it is so informative that many therapists, social behavior professionals and educational institutions use this series as educational material.
As parents, we do our best to help guide our children as they strive to make their way in the world much like the 14 children in this series did. Some of them did achieve their dreams while many of them fell far short. That’s the way life goes, as much as it will kill us when it’s our own children that struggle and fail to reach their childhood dreams. Still, we all must keep the dream and do our best to prepare them for adulthood. I guess we also need to prepare ourselves for whatever happens in their lives. Much like every student becomes a teacher, every child becomes a parent and vice versa, huh?
Note:
Michael Apted has directed most of the documentaries. He always does a wonderful job being sympathetic to the subjects, understanding how sensitive and painful it can be to share your life in such a public manner every seven years. He has made many other excellent movies, including “Coal Miner’s Daughter“Gorillas in the Mist and most recently, “Amazing Grace. Roger Ebert has stated that this series of documentaries is in his top ten movies of all-time. After viewing just one of these installments I think you will agree.
For a complete update on all of the participants and the series itself, visit the 7UP wikipedia entry.A new documentary series called 7Up 2000 started in 2000 with a new group of children followed by 14up 2000. There is an American documentary series equivalent with three installments:
Age 7 in America (1991) and next Phil Joanou
14 Up in America (1998)
21 Up in America (2006) by Christopher Dillon Quinn[1]
Here are some video clips from the most recent documentary called 49 UP which includes footage from the previous six installments.