7系列－麥可．艾普特

Michael Apted has revisited his subjects every seven years in a series of remarkable films that allow us to watch a group of children grow into adults before our eyes since 1964. In 1984, all existing chapters were bundled together into the British miniseries 28 Up. It was later boiled down to a 113-minute feature film. 28 Up is a fascinating social document.

The original seven year olds are now in their early 40s and have been through some major life experiences. The thoughts and hopes they once held make for groundbreaking television, sparking discussions on subjects ranging from love and marriage to class and prejudices. Has life turned out as they'd expected and do they still hold any burning ambitions for the future?

In 1964, a group of seven-year-old children were interviewed about their ideas and opinions on the adult world in the documentary 7 Up. In 1971, Michael Apted tracked down the same youngsters for a follow-up, 7 Plus 7, in which the children are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

Michael Apted revisits the same group of children when they are 21, some of the young adults have realized their seven-year-old ambitions, but others are leading quite different lives from those suggested during childhood. However, the presence of the series has affected the lives of the participants. This is expressed here when the participants are brought together for a party, that the experiment really contributes to itself.