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| Director: Malik Bendjelloul (2012) |
From the gorgeous opening vistas of a South
African coastline, Searching for Sugarman sets itself up to be a very special
kind of documentary. Its sublime blend of animation, perfect cinematography and
‘8mm’ footage bestow such a riveting visual display for a film of its genre.
Its brilliance reaches beyond its aesthetic with the engrossing story of Rodriguez;
the phenomenal 1970’s singer who disappeared after his album flopped stateside.
It charts his apparent suicide to his popularity in South Africa where his
songs became a cultural phenomenon. And in the final third, Searching for
Sugarman falls apart. The filmmakers interview Rodriguez’ friends and bosses in
the present day, building up to finding the fabled singer, only to reveal they
found him 13 years prior, when he toured South Africa, throwing the entire film
out of context. A stunning story wrecked by manipulative and deceitful design.
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