Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.

Director:

Malik Bendjelloul

Writers:

Malik Bendjelloul, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman (article)

Stars:

Rodriguez, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Dennis Coffey

Won 1 Oscar. Another 42 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman	...	Self - Record Shop Owner
Dennis Coffey	...	Self - Co-Producer, Cold Fact 1970
Mike Theodore	...	Self - Co-Producer, Cold Fact 1970
Dan DiMaggio	...	Self - Bartender, The Brewery
Jerome Ferretti	...	Self - Bricklayer
Steve Rowland	...	Self - Producer, Coming from Reality 1971
Willem Möller	...	Self - Musician
Craig Bartholomew Strydom	...	Self - Music Journalist (as Craig Bartholomew-Strydom)
Ilse Assmann	...	Self - Former Apartheid Archivist
Steve M. Harris	...	Self - Teal Trutone
Robbie Mann	...	Self - RPM Records
Clarence Avant	...	Self - Former Chairman of Motown Records
Eva Rodriguez	...	Self - Rodriguez's Eldest Daughter
Rodriguez	...	Self (as Sixto Rodriguez)
Regan Rodriguez	...	Self - Rodriguez's Youngest Daughter

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.

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Plot Keywords:

songwriter | presumed dead | censorship | search | recording artist | 

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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.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some drug references

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some 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.

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Goofs

During the credits there is a spelling error - It says "Mabu Vinly" instead of "Mabu Vinyl"

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Quotes

Rodriguez: Thanks for keeping me alive!

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Connections

Referenced in The Black Godfather (2019)

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Soundtracks

This Is Not A Song, It's An Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues
Written by Rodriguez (as Sixto Rodriguez)
Courtesy of Hey Day Entertainment, LLC by arrangement
with Light in the Attic Records & Distribution, LLC

User Reviews

A Must-See. Truly

Rodriguez (Sugarman), is one of the greatest men I have ever known.

This isn't a review, at least I don't consider it one; I don't review on IMDb, and there's a good chance I never will; but I feel compelled to leave my experience and thoughts, though briefly, here.

I saw this movie today knowing nothing about the subject material or the man himself; after leaving the theatre into a dimming sunset I texted my friend "I have a new hero."

That is probably the greatest praise I have ever gave a film.

Soulful, touching, heartrending and uplifting, this film------ you cannot write this, you cannot make this up, it is a story of true brilliance and daunting inspiration. There is so much to commend, praise, remark about this movie... but honestly I don't want to cite any one thing because it would spoil the experience of watching the story unfold and the mystery of Sugarman being shaped weakened. The bottom line is: It is a story that is too real, poignant, and far-fetched to exist anywhere on a writer's board or in a screenplay; this is why documentaries will never die, and they will always have a reserved place in the realm of cinema, films of fiction and artistry just cannot pierce the depth that this one finds. It is one of the greatest documentaries I have ever seen, possibly the greatest.

I cried throughout the picture. A must-see.

I write this review with the intention that I hope to encourage others to go see this movie: If you do you won't regret it and if you see it years later on television, you'll regret you didn't take the chance when you had it.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [United States]

Country:

Sweden UK Finland

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 2012 (UK)

Also Known As:

Searching for Sugar Man

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,459, 29 July 2012

Gross USA:

$3,696,196

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,133,597

Company Credits

Production Co:

Red Box Films, Passion Pictures, Canfield Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1