Searching for Sugar Man

- 2012
- Sweden / UK
- 1h 26min
- 12A
- Directed by: Malik Bendjelloul
- UK release: 27 July 2012
Two men investigate the fate of 1970s South African star Rodriguez, long-since disappeared and rumoured to have committed suicide. A film that hooks you right from the start and pulls you into a heart-warming but not sugar-coated exploration of the musician's life.
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Reviews & features
Documentary filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul discusses the remarkable story fo Sixto Rodriguez

The musician, the subject of Malik's Searching for Sugar Man, plays the Usher Hall this month
Like Robinson Crusoe in reverse, Sixto Rodriguez spent many decades oblivious to the fact that the world wished urgently to get in touch. In the early 70s, the young Latino songwriter (above) released a brace of albums. They sounded a bit like Bob…
Searching for Sugar Man


Heartwarming documentary about a 1970s US musician and his rise to fame in South Africa
Some documentaries hook you right from the start. Malik Bendjelloul’s Searching For Sugar Man does just this, introducing us to the remarkable story of Sixto Rodriguez with the nugget that the Detroit-born 70s folk musician set himself on fire on stage…
Director Malik Bendjelloul discusses Searching for Sugar Man

The South African documentary explores the country's fascination with 70s musician Rodriguez
‘It was like a blessed film,’ says Malik Bendjelloul. ‘Every rock you looked under, there was a little gold coin.’ There isn’t a better way to describe Bendjelloul’s debut Searching For Sugar Man, a documentary that boasts what the director calls…
Searching for Sugar Man trailer
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