Youth saga puts Gibson up for Bafta

Local director Angus Gibson has been nominated for a 2014 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award, for his acclaimed documentary, 28 Up South Africa.

Gibson and Jemma Jupp partnered to follow the personal journeys of a diverse range of young South Africans who were born pre-democracy, and filming them every seven years, as South Africa's metamorphosis continued.

The documentary is part of a series of eight films that follows the characters at age 7, 14, 21 and 28. Filming started in 1992.

Last year, the subjects of the documentary turned 28 and, for the final edition, the film pays tribute to Andiswa, who died of Aids in 2010. She is the fourth of the doccie's subjects to die of the disease.

It is fascinating to see how much, and in other cases how little, the people's lives have changed.

At the age of seven Tshepo, who has lived in White City, Soweto, all his life, told the camera he wanted to be a lawyer. Asked what lawyers did, he replied: "They stand guard at night in hospital."

Twenty-one years later (2013), Tshepo works 12 hours a day as a security officer. But one of the most poignant interviews is with Patrick, 14, who grew up in Cape Town and went to one of the city's top schools.

Asked who interested him in the documentary, he said: "The people in the squatter camps. They went to bed cold with not enough food and the basic necessities."

28 Up South Africa is nominated alongside The Day Kennedy Died, The Murder Trial and The Unspeakable Crime: Rape.

We caught up with Gibson for a little chat.

Q: Were you pleasantly surprised with the nomination?
A: I was not even thinking about it so it came as a fabulous surprise. Britain is the home of documentary. Such great work is done there. I feel very honoured to be nominated in that context.

Q: Looking back on your subjects in the documentary, is it disheartening to know that four of them died so young, especially to Aids?
A: There were twenty subjects originally. Three have chosen not to continue to twenty. Then Linda, Bonnita and Shane died before they were 21 and Andiswa before 28.
It is devastating that this has happened. In the three other countries where the Ups are made, nobody has died. Four out of twenty is a very sobering statistic. I think South Africans of their age were particularly vulnerable to Aids in their adolescence. I think people younger than them became more aware of the risks that they were taking.

Q: One UK newspaper noted that 28 UP South Africa was "more positive" that Michael Apted's original "Up" series- was that a conscious decision by you and Jemma?
A: When we chose the subjects in 1992 we were trying to represent the multiplicity of life experiences of being South African as well as the different ingredients that make up our community. At 28, I find the characters very compelling but I personally find the film very upsetting. I am saddened by what a lot of them have had to deal with in their lives. Michael Apted's 28up was also very moving. I think in that way, they are similar.

Q: Are there any plans for "35 up", perhaps?
A: I certainly hope so. I think all the subjects have liked being part of 28up and would like it to continue. The crew also feels very committed to the project. It is such a great social history of this slice of South African life. It is always very hard though to find the finance.
We have never found it in South Africa. This time it happened thanks to Al Jazeera coming on board. Hopefully one day our own broadcasters will become partners. I would be very happy if one of them would broadcast 28up.

Q: How would you sum up the experience of working on this project, spanning all these years?
A: I suppose I feel lucky. I feel deeply privileged to be able to have these relatively intimate conversations with such a diverse cross section of South Africans every seven years. Their life experience makes me very aware of how blessed my own life has been – and although I hardly see them in the years between, I feel very connected to them