British director Michael Apted died on Friday at the age of 79, his agent said. He was famous for his documentary series "Up" and his opus of the James Bond saga.
In 1999, Michael Apted directed Pierce Brosnan and Sophie Marceau in the film "The World Is Not Enough". [ANONYMOUS – KEYSTONE] Michael Apted had directed, among others, "Nashville Lady" (1980) and "Gorillas in the Mist" (1988), as well as the film from the James Bond saga "The world is not enough" (1999).
But he was best known in the UK for his documentary series "Up", in which he filmed every seven years the evolution of 14 little Britons from different socio-economic backgrounds, since they were seven years old when the project started in 1964, until they were 63 years old.
"Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the loss of this esteemed director," said Thomas Schlamme, current director of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), of which Michael Apted was also president, in a statement.
"His legacy will forever be inscribed in the world of cinema and our association," added Thomas Schlamme, describing his predecessor as an "intrepid visionary", whose "wisdom" and "acerbic spirit" he salutes.
According to Thomas Schlamme, Michael Apted leaves behind his wife Paige and three children, Jim, John and Lily.
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