First, let us focus on the The Title's content and context:
SEVEN UP, here, does not refer to a Soft Drink.... But rather, to a carefully conceived and executed Documentary where, beginning at SEVEN Years of age, a somewhat large assorted group of British Kids, from disperse social classes and backgrounds will be interviewed and asked the exact same set of questions at SEVEN Year intervals... Pretty much for the remainder of their time on Planet EARTH!
Defined on IMDb as a documentary, this seems, to me at least, closer to a reality TV show, in its focus, execution and style! Certainly, for a project conceived and initiated WELL OVER half a century ago, it was, undoubtedly, Light Years ahead of its time!!!
The basic premise, in a nutshell, was to select a group of kids that represented a cross-section of British society in the early 60's. The children were all to be the same age: 7. All of them would be interviewed and filmed answering the same set of questions and participating in the same activities every seven years. This every seven year "snapshot" would continue until the subjects were well into middle age!
At the beginning, the producers state their primary intention as "thusly allowing the viewer to watch the development of a group of children from varied backgrounds and distinct social "classes", and draw their own conclusions".... Is it just me, or does anyone else hear strains of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" faintly in the background?
All in all, I must admit this UK doc really brings out the latent voyeur in you...(or, at least, in me, perhaps!) Directed by Michael Apted, what I found to be of most interest, to be brutally honest, were the inherent biases and preconceptions of the Interviewers/ producers/director as evidenced by both their choice of questions and subtle differences in the handling/presentation of the screen dynamic of the interviews themselves... Or, perhaps, the inherent biases and preconceptions are really mine?!?!?
My suggestion: Watch Seven Up/Seven Plus Seven and decide for yourself.
9*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!
SEVEN UP, here, does not refer to a Soft Drink.... But rather, to a carefully conceived and executed Documentary where, beginning at SEVEN Years of age, a somewhat large assorted group of British Kids, from disperse social classes and backgrounds will be interviewed and asked the exact same set of questions at SEVEN Year intervals... Pretty much for the remainder of their time on Planet EARTH!
Defined on IMDb as a documentary, this seems, to me at least, closer to a reality TV show, in its focus, execution and style! Certainly, for a project conceived and initiated WELL OVER half a century ago, it was, undoubtedly, Light Years ahead of its time!!!
The basic premise, in a nutshell, was to select a group of kids that represented a cross-section of British society in the early 60's. The children were all to be the same age: 7. All of them would be interviewed and filmed answering the same set of questions and participating in the same activities every seven years. This every seven year "snapshot" would continue until the subjects were well into middle age!
At the beginning, the producers state their primary intention as "thusly allowing the viewer to watch the development of a group of children from varied backgrounds and distinct social "classes", and draw their own conclusions".... Is it just me, or does anyone else hear strains of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" faintly in the background?
All in all, I must admit this UK doc really brings out the latent voyeur in you...(or, at least, in me, perhaps!) Directed by Michael Apted, what I found to be of most interest, to be brutally honest, were the inherent biases and preconceptions of the Interviewers/ producers/director as evidenced by both their choice of questions and subtle differences in the handling/presentation of the screen dynamic of the interviews themselves... Or, perhaps, the inherent biases and preconceptions are really mine?!?!?
My suggestion: Watch Seven Up/Seven Plus Seven and decide for yourself.
9*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!