What a film. Just what a film. Searching for Sugar Man was the third film we watched in class and was directed by Malik Bendjelloul.
I personally think that this may be one of the best films I have ever seen. The way it makes you feel when it's over is shocking, it feels so good and I felt so glad that I had been told this incredible story.
Sixto Rodriguez was a singer from Detroit in the late 60's who was signed and released two albums. Both flopped in the US and he was released. He gave up singing and disappeared. Years later his music became a massive hit in South Africa. His records sold upwards of 500,000 copies. He was bigger than Elvis.
However, no one knew anything about him. Many believed he committed suicide by setting himself alight on stage. Yet no one had seen this happen. From here, a massive journey of discovery for Rodriguez begins and ends so amazingly.
The film resonated with me for days (it still is) because of this amazing journey. We are led down the road for so long about this mans suicide and we believe ourselves that he's dead as we just get let down so many times and the evidence all points that way.
Yet we discover that he's alive and it's about a man working in poverty who didn't know he was famous and his music was prominent in the anti-apartheid movement. It's a glorious moment.
It was interesting to point out that some of the interviews at the start that we see about the people saying who they didn't know who this man was and that they believed he died are also the same ones shown at the end when we know the truth. It has been cleverly edited together to tell the best story which works so well.
It's emotional when we hear from the producers who worked with him and are sad about what could have happened to him. Yet at the end, his fame doesn't get the better of him as he still lives in the house he's lived in and donates his money.
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