The documentary film genre demands a more sophisticated approach
for a new age.
“The standard concept of biography in film hasn’t
changed that much in 100 years,” said Rani Singh, film
curator at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “It’s pretty much
a linear storyline, a 19th century notion. In the 21st century,
we’re finding ourselves to be more complicated and
fragmented, and we must reflect on the way we think about our own
lives.”
Singh is curator of the “Fragmented Lives” film
series, part of the Getty Research Institute’s biography
program. “Fragmented Lives” will showcase documentaries
and biographical films that push the boundaries of the form,
working to become more relevant to the ever-changing human
condition. The series begins tonight, with screenings of the
biographical works of Michael Apted, most notably his 1998 release,
“42 Up.”
“There really isn’t any other filmmaker I can think
of who spans that wide range of biographical film,” said
Singh about Apted.
Apted has helmed many biopics, including “Coal
Miner’s Daughter,” about country singer Loretta Lynn,
and “Gorillas in the Mist,” about biologist Dian
Fossey, and has even directed big-budget films like Jennifer
Lopez’s “Enough” and Bond film, “The World
Is Not Enough.”
His most comprehensive achievement is the “Up”
documentary series, which follows 14 British lives from infancy
into adulthood, touching base with each subject every seven years,
most recently when they all turned 42. The mission of the
“Up” series is to examine the profound effects of the
British class system.
“I wanted as big a cross-section as I could get,”
said Apted.
“7 Up” was originally conceived as a one-time
television program in Birmingham, England. The cross-section was
not assessed with future installments in mind, resulting in a
skewed demographic of the very rich and the very poor.
“(The cross-section) ended up being the margins on either
side, whereas the real (social) changes took place in the middle
(class),” Apted said.
“42 Up” and its predecessors (“7 Up”
through “35 Up”) innovate the documentary format
through its ability to make verifiable comparisons between
different stages of human life. Other Apted documentaries take an
equally innovative thematic approach, such as
“Inspiration” and “Me and Isaac
Newton.”
While “42 Up” may represent the culmination of his
work, Apted himself doesn’t put documentary films on a
pedestal above fictional ones as some do.
“I never thought that the documentary was a pristine art
form, and that movies were philistine contrivances,” he said.
“Everyone has an agenda, whether you like it or not. Every
edit is essentially a judgment call. My only belief is in the
integrity of the project.”
Apted has more documentaries in the works. He is presently
working on one that follows the Rolling Stones through their most
recent recording and touring itinerary, and he will make “49
Up” in a few years.
“I will continue the “˜Up’ series as long as I
can, until I drop dead”, he said.
Documentaries and biopics are rarely huge box-office draws, but
Singh and the Getty Research Institute hope to highlight their
continued importance with their Fragmented Lives series.
“These films serve as a mirror for our own lives,”
Singh said. “Documentaries allow for this reflection not only
through great artists and thinkers but ordinary lives as
well.”
The screening and discussion with Michael Apted is free of
charge, plus $5 for parking. To make reservations, go to
http://www.getty.edu or call (310) 440-7300.