Michael Apted
In celebration of 63 Up, the latest instalment of Michael Apted’s groundbreaking documentary series that began in 1964, a number of British and American celebrity fans now discuss its impact on popular culture and its lasting legacy. The film also candidly explores pivotal moments of celebrities’ own lives - from school days and first loves to family and fulfilled ambitions - while tapping into changes in social history around topics such as class, education, and parenting.
After failing to apprehend the terrorist behind a Paris attack that claimed dozens of lives, CIA agent Alice Racine is forced to live in London as a caseworker. Her mentor unexpectedly calls her back into action when the CIA discovers that another attack is imminent. Alice soon learns that the classified information she's uncovered has been compromised. Running for her life, she turns to a former soldier to help her prevent a lethal biological attack on the citizens of London.
Explore the country legend's hard-fought road to stardom. From her Appalachian roots to the Oscar-winning biopic of her life, Coal Miner's Daughter, Loretta Lynn struggled to balance family and her music career and is still going strong after more than 50 years. The documentary premieres the same day Lynn's first new studio album in over 10 years is released.
From acclaimed director Michael Apted (The Up Series, Masters of Sex, The World is Not Enough) comes a revealing look at the art of filmmaking and photography. A journey of glass, the documentary explores the relationship between the artisans who create camera lenses and the masters of light who use these lenses to capture their beloved art form. Bending the Light features never-before-seen footage from inside a premier Japanese lens factory, intimate interviews with lens engineers, and a peek into the world of award-winning photographers and cinematographers Stephen Goldblatt, ASC, BSC, Greg Gorman, Simon Bruty, Laura El-Tantawy, and Richard Barnes.
Surfer Jay Moriarity sets out to ride the Northern California break known as Mavericks.
When a cross-section of seven-year-olds were interviewed for 7 Up in 1964 it was immediately evident that their social backgrounds influenced their attitudes towards life. While the upper class children were confident and self-assured, those from middle and working class backgrounds were resigned to a challenging life of hard work. This premise was put to the test every seven years when the same group were interviewed about the progression of their lives. 49 years in the making, the changes that occurred to the original 14 make for fascinating television and are in many ways the stories of all our lives. From success and disappointment, marriage and childbirth, to poverty and illness, nearly every facet of life has been captured on film. Now, at the age of 56, the group are once more brought together and, with the benefit of hindsight, assess whether their lives have been ruled by circumstance or self-determination.
This time around Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their pesky cousin Eustace Scrubb find themselves swallowed into a painting and on to a fantastic Narnian ship headed for the very edges of the world.
Six intertwining stories showcase the social impact of football across the world.
From award-winning director Michael Apted, MARRIED IN AMERICA 2 is the second film in an ongoing documentary about the challenges of marriage in the 21st century.
The true story of William Wilberforce and his courageous quest to end the British slave trade. Along the way, Wilberforce meets intense opposition, but his minister urges him to see the cause through.
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.
Working-class waitress Slim thought she was entering a life of domestic bliss when she married Mitch, the man of her dreams. After the arrival of their first child, her picture perfect life is shattered when she discovers Mitch's hidden possessive dark side, a controlling and abusive alter ego that can turn trust, love and tranquility into terror. Terrified for her child's safety, Slim flees with her daughter. Relentless in his pursuit and enlisting the aid of lethal henchmen, Mitch continually stalks the prey that was once his family.
Following the experiences of a handful of couples over the course of a decade, producer Michael Apted shows how this ancient institution expresses itself in contemporary American society. Introduces the couples and follows them through the days and weeks preceding their weddings.
Seven of today's top scientist/researchers are the subject of this humourous exploration of real people behind the white lab coats; more about what makes the tick than what they have per-se accomplished. Chosen because the subjects are the very best in their particular fields, featured are Gertrude Elion, Ashok Gadgil, Michio Kaku, Maja Materic, Steven Pinker, Karol Sikora and Patricia C. Wright. Written by Len Massaar
Promotional documentary filmed at the London East End Docklands area and River Thames for the filming of the opening boat chase for The World Is Not Enough (1999).
Greed, revenge, world dominance and high-tech terrorism – it's all in a day's work for Bond, who's on a mission to protect a beautiful oil heiress from a notorious terrorist. In a race against time that culminates in a dramatic submarine showdown, Bond works to defuse the international power struggle that has the world's oil supply hanging in the balance.
Documentary about the making of the 1999 installment in the James Bond series, The World is Not Enough.
An ex-con moves to L.A. to find work and creates a disturbance by fighting for a position. More importantly he touches the lives of many of his neighbors including an older man dying of cancer, a young married couple whose husband is too proud to accept a lesser position which causes strife with his wife, and a young boy on the verge of getting in trouble with street gangs.
This latest documentary film by Michael Apted explores the creative process through candid discussion with seven artists from diverse media. David Bowie, Roy Lichtenstein, Dale Chihuly, Edouard Locke, Louise LeCavalier, and Nora Noranjo-Morse answer the questions regarding their particular artforms: "How do you create your problems, and how do you go about solving them?"
Guy Luthan, a British doctor working at a hospital in New York, starts making unwelcome enquiries when the body of a man who died in his emergency room disappears. After the trail leads Luthan to the door of an eminent surgeon at the hospital, Luthan soon finds himself in extreme danger people who want the hospital's secret to remain undiscovered.
New York News is a newspaper drama which was broadcast in the United States by CBS as part of its 1995 fall lineup.
Stephen Frears and a quartet of film industry notables - representing different cinematic periods - drink tea and discuss ups and downs of British cinema.
ON JUNE 4th 1989, CHINA WAS CHANGED FOREVER. Beijing, May, 1989. the world watched as a hundred students became a thousand, as thousands became a million - and a nation starved of freedom, cried out for a taste of democracy. In this compelling film, director Michael Apted (Nell, Gorillas in the Mist), captures the power and passion of the Tiananmen Square uprising through a unique combination of newsreel footage, dramatic re-enactments and extensive input from the actual student leaders. Exploring their personal histories, reflections and thoughts on the future. MOVING THE MOUNTAIN paints a portrait of courage, conviction, and commitment that the NEW YORK POST calls, "A soaring - and sobering - tribute to the human spirit."
Emma is an attractive girl in her 20s who has been blind for 20 years. A new type of eye operation partially restores her sight, but she is having problems: sometimes she doesn't "remember" what she's seen until later. One night she is awakened by a commotion upstairs. Peering out of her door, she sees a shadowy figure descending the stairs. Convinced that her neighbour has been murdered she approaches the police, only to find that she is unsure if it was just her new eyes playing tricks on her.
An FBI man with Sioux background is sent to a reservation to help with a murder investigation, where he has to come to terms with his heritage.
On June 26, 1975, during a period of high tensions on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, two FBI agents were killed in a shootout with a group of Indians. Although several men were charged with killing the agents, only one, Leonard Peltier, was found guilty. This film describes the events surrounding the shootout and suggests that Peltier was unjustly convicted.
A Liberal activist lawyer alienated his daughter Maggie years ago when she discovered his many affairs. Now a conservative corporate lawyer, Maggie agrees to go up against her father in court. To gain promotion, she must defend an auto manufacturer against charges that their explosion-prone station wagons are unsafe. As her mother begs for peace, Maggie takes on her dad in a trial that turns increasingly personal and nasty.
A knife-scarred victim must identify her assailant beyond a reasonable doubt. Meanwhile the accused is offered a deal if he pleads guilty. Is he as innocent as the victim? Is the justice system guiltier than both?
A documentary about Boris Grebenshikov, frontman of the legendary Russian art-rock band Akvarium ("Аквариум"). It was filmed as part of promo campaign for his own first album released in English and recorded with Eurythmics.
The story of Dian Fossey, a scientist who came to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas, and later fought to protect them.
Eddie is a con artist. But this time he's framed and comes before a judge. By claiming insanity, he hopes to get off the hook. He manages to end up in a hospital for a mental examination. That night, a storm breaks out over New York, and the electricity to the hospital is broken. In the ensuing chaos that follows, Eddie is taken for a doctor. Suddenly he is in charge of a whole hospital!
Bring on the Night is a 1985 documentary film, that focuses on the jazz-inspired project and band led by the British musician Sting during the early stages of his solo career. Some of the songs, whose recording sessions are featured in the film, appeared on his debut solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Each musician in the band through the course of the film is interviewed.
Two bumbling government employees think they are U.S. spies, only to discover that they are actually decoys for nuclear war.
16 year old Jake Livingston has always been the man of the Livingston home since his parents divorced, that is, until his mother started seeing Sam. Sam, an alcoholic and drug addict, introduces Jake's mother into a self-destructive lifestyle.
Because he's the oldest, Jake has been the man of the house, since his parents divorce. When Mom starts seeing Sam, who always seems to be trying some new way to get rich quick, and declares he's the man of the house now, Jake puts up with it. Until he discovers Sam's illegal activities.
Police Inspector Renko tries to solve the case of three bodies found in Moscow's Gorky Park but finds his attempts to solve the crime impeded by his superiors. Working on his own, Renko seeks out more information and stumbles across a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the government.
An enchanting comedy set in post-World War Two Britain. It studies a teenage boy's relationships and period of sexual awakening. A cricket-obsessed adolescent, Alan Duckworth lusts after his classmate Ann. When the pair score the lead roles in the school's drama production, Alan finds himself in the awkward situation of having to pull off a proper snog scene with his real-life crush.
A hard-nosed Chicago journalist has an unlikely love affair with an eagle researcher.
Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.
Kate works in the nuclear industry. She is concerned about the way things are being run. So she smuggles out some Plutonium to prove how easy it is. She tries to pass it on to protest groups, but nobody is interested as they have their own agendas.
An alcoholic London ex-cop becomes involved into a kidnapping drama and tries to free the daughter of a friend from a brutal gangster mob.
Set in the rarefied world of West End boutique owners and fashion designers, The Collection takes as its departure point the moment when four elegant lives are suddenly shaken by the suggestion of infidelity. The sinister anonymous phone call that disturbs Harry Kane at four o'clock in the morning becomes increasingly hard to establish...
Johnny has joined the army because he likes canoeing, but ends up in a war-torn city and is compromised into helping the enemy. However, desertion will not be a solution, and he finds himself more distressed than ever.
Laurence Olivier Presents is a British television series made by Granada Television which ran from 1976 to 1978. The plays, with the exception of Hindle Wakes, all starred Laurence Olivier. Some of the plays were based on productions staged at the National Theatre during the period when Olivier was Artistic Director. In addition to distinguished English actors, the casts assembled for these productions included several Hollywood stars, such as Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, Joanne Woodward and Maureen Stapleton.
Two women, looking for amusement on their afternoons off, visit a drinking club.
Shades of Greene is a British television series based on short stories written by the author Graham Greene. The series began in 1975, with each hour-long episode featuring a dramatisation of one of Greene's stories, many of which dealt with issues such as guilt and the Catholic faith, as well as looking at life in general. Actors to have appeared in the series include John Gielgud, Leo McKern, Virginia McKenna, Paul Scofield, and Roy Kinnear. The series began on 9 September 1975 and ran for two seasons.
A father leaves his grown-up family to move in with his lover in the south, alienating himself from his four children.
Terry and his family fight against a planned eviction when the council decides on a road building programme and their house is in its path.
Rivalry at a local Gilbert and Sullivan Society over who will play Jack Point in the Silver Jubilee production. Rowland Matthews has always been the main star, but he is getting on, and the young Clive Bates is a strong rival.
Black and Blue was a BBC TV comedy-drama series, first broadcast in 1973. It was so named because of the black and blue humour. The show consisted of 6 episodes of 50–60 minutes duration, each episode was a separate self-contained playlet. The only connection between them was the Black and Blue humour theme. The first episode was broadcast on 14 August 1973, with the last episode airing on 18 September 1973. The play Secrets was wiped, only surviving thanks to a domestic videotape copy made from the mastertape by its producer, Mark Shivas.
Mr. Armistead is the referee for an amateur league Sunday Football match. Disliked and abused by all the players he tries to play fair and ensure they follow the rules. By the end of the match he's had enough and really uses his head to show them that he's not as useless as they all think.
After her husband is captured during WWII, homesteader Alice is forced to maintain their land herself. One day, a wandering soldier named Barton stops by the farm and the pair begin a relationship. When the military police pass through the area looking for deserters, Barton is forced to disguise himself as a woman to stay with Alice. But he soon catches the eye of a sergeant posted nearby.
Two provincial newspaper reporters - one a young idealist starting out on his career, the other an embittered man who previously wrote for a failed national daily - swap views.
Follyfoot is a children's television series co-produced by the majority-partner British television company Yorkshire Television and the independent West German company TV Munich. It aired in the United Kingdom between 1971 and 1973, repeated for two years after that and again in the late 1980s. The series starred Gillian Blake in the lead role. Notable people connected with the series were actors Desmond Llewelyn and Arthur English and directors Jack Cardiff, Stephen Frears, Michael Apted and David Hemmings. It was originally inspired by Monica Dickens' 1963 novel Cobbler's Dream; she later wrote four further books in conjunction with the series—Follyfoot in 1971, Dora at Follyfoot in 1972, The Horses of Follyfoot in 1975, and Stranger at Follyfoot in 1976.
After a 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
A skiving bin gang are on high alert when their new inspector takes an interest.
Edgar Lunt lives his life by scientific principles, that is, for every action there is a reaction. He believes that any pleasure he might have, will mean, somebody will suffer somewhere else. The result is he is not very happy at all, until Trevor, a young student,tries to show him a fresh outlook on life.
Thirty-Minute Theatre is an anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which therefore attracted many writers who later became well known. It was initially produced by Graeme MacDonald. Thirty-Minute Theatre followed on from a similarly named ITV series, beginning on BBC2 in 1965 with an adaptation of the black comedy Parsons Pleasure. Dennis Potter contributed Emergency – Ward 9, which he partially recycled in the much later The Singing Detective. In 1967 BBC2 launched the UK's first colour service, with the consequence that Thirty-Minute Theatre became the first drama series in the country to be shown in colour. As well as single plays, the series showed several linked collections of plays, including a group of four plays by John Mortimer named after areas of London in 1972, two three-part Inspector Waugh series starring Clive Swift in the title role, and a trilogy of plays by Jean Benedetti, broadcast in 1969, focusing on infamous historical figures such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
The Up Series is a series of documentary films produced by Granada Television that have followed the lives of fourteen British children since 1964, when they were seven years old. So far the documentary has had eight episodes spanning 49 years and the documentary has been broadcast on both ITV and BBC. In a 2005 Channel 4 programme, the series topped the list of The 50 Greatest Documentaries. The children were selected to represent the range of socio-economic backgrounds in Britain at that time, with the explicit assumption that each child's social class predetermines their future. Every seven years, the director, Michael Apted, films material from those of the fourteen who choose to participate. The aim of the series is stated at the beginning of 7 Up as: "Why do we bring these children together? Because we want to get a glimpse of England in the year 2000. The shop steward and the executive of the year 2000 are now seven years old." 56 Up premiered on British TV on 14 May 2012; its release in the USA came on 4 January 2013.
