Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
66K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- Malik Bendjelloul
- Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman(article 'Sugar and the Sugar Man')
- Craig Bartholomew Strydom(article 'Looking for Jesus')
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Malik Bendjelloul
- Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman(article 'Sugar and the Sugar Man')
- Craig Bartholomew Strydom(article 'Looking for Jesus')
- Stars
- Won 1 Oscar
- 45 wins & 33 nominations total
Videos5
Craig Bartholomew Strydom
- Self - Music Journalistas Self - Music Journalist
- (as Craig Bartholomew-Strydom)
- Director
- Writers
- Malik Bendjelloul
- Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman(article 'Sugar and the Sugar Man')
- Craig Bartholomew Strydom(article 'Looking for Jesus')
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
In the early 1970s, Sixto Rodriguez was a Detroit folksinger who had a short-lived recording career with only two well received but non-selling albums. Unknown to Rodriguez, his musical story continued in South Africa where he became a pop music icon and inspiration for generations. Long rumored there to be dead by suicide, a few fans in the 1990s decided to seek out the truth of their hero's fate. What follows is a bizarrely heartening story in which they found far more in their quest than they ever hoped, while a Detroit construction laborer discovered that his lost artistic dreams came true after all. —Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
- Taglines
- He was a star in the making, who vanished without a trace. But on the other side of the world, he inspired a generation.
- Genres
- Certificate
- S
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaSome parts of the documentary were shot on an iPhone App called 8mm Vintage Camera after the producers ran out of film for an expensive real 8mm camera. The app cost only £1.49/$1.99. Director Malik Bendjelloul was cash strapped from making the documentary.
- GoofsDuring the credits there is a spelling error - It says "Mabu Vinly" instead of "Mabu Vinyl"
- ConnectionsFeatured in 60 Minutes: Huawei/Sticker Shock/Rodriguez (2012)
- SoundtracksSugar Man
Written by Rodriguez (as Sixto Rodriguez)
Courtesy of Hey Day Entertainment, LLC by arrangement
with Light in the Attic Records & Distribution, LLC
Top review
Great Art Always Survives
This documentary really grows on you. As the story and the search begins, you slowly but surely get caught up in the narrative. For me the amazing part of this journey is the composure and serenity of Rodriguez himself. Despite the lack of recognition in his own country, he continued to lead a rich life filled with hope and creativity. Just looking at his 3 beautiful daughters is testament to this. The sound tracks are really wonderful and take you back to the 60s and 70s. Another interesting facet of this movie is the exploration of the overthrow of Apartheid. Many who embraced the music of Rodriquez were Africaaners who were looking for change and a better life for everyone in their country. You come out of this movie believing in a better world.
helpful•756
- clarkj-565-161336
- Aug 26, 2012
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Bir Şarkının Peşinde
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $3,696,196
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $27,459
- Jul 29, 2012
- Gross worldwide
- $9,216,552
- Runtime
- 1h 26min
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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By what name was Searching for Sugar Man (2012) officially released in India in English?
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