South African-Inspired Documentary Wins Academy Award

VIDEO: Searching for Sugar Man Wins Oscar
25 February 2013
allAfrica.com
By Melody Chironda

A South African inspired-documentary 'Searching for Sugar Man' has scooped the award for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscar awards.

The film, directed by a Swedish film-maker Malik Bendjelloul, tells the story of a Detroit-based musician Sixto Rodriguez, better known as Rodriguez, who disappeared after releasing an album in the early 70s. He was rumoured to have committed suicide after the records failed to sell until his music was rediscovered in South Africa, according to Associated Press (AP).

Two of his fans from South Africa, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, decided to find the truth behind their musical hero's disappearance from the music scene. They discovered that the legendary icon was living and working as a construction worker in Michigan.

The film won against other nominees which include 5 Broken Cameras, The Gatekeepers, How to Survive a Plague and The Invisible War.

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