Malik Bendjelloul films the music anti-hero. Greatness art of camera movement searching for "Sugar man".

A man walks in the street. Strong wind and heavy snow don’t stop him. He continues to go ahead, steps by steps.  The camera watches him, panning his walk without interfering. With his black coat, skinny jeans and stylish sunglasses the unknown man become a stylized cartoon character.

Who is the unknown man?

His name is shrouded in mystery and silence.

Some people call him “Sugar man” from his lyric, but Sixto Rodriguez is more than a common folk-rock singer.

The Mexican-American singer, who wrote songs about drugs and love in the 1970s, ends up working in constructions in a gloomy and cold Detroit. Unfortunately his music career finished quite soon after the flop of his two albums, and he was quickly forgotten. The American didn’t understand the blues tunes of his poetic and social engaged lyrics. They build up rumours on his premature suicide related to drugs. 

In another part of the world, in South Africa his album Cold Fact sold more than half a million copies and his music inspired the white liberal movement protesting against Apartheid. He was a celebrity there as Elvis, as big as the Stones were in USA.

He was the “Sugar Man” for the protesters: the idol in their mind. Never seen or touched, just heart.

However no one knew that, and Rodriguez had never received any royalties for his success in Africa.

“Sugar man” went off the stage and disappeared. He left the spots lights in silent and carried on with his life.

The documentary starts with the investigations of two Rodriguez’s huge fans in South Africa, trying to find out what happened to him. Cape Town record store owner Steve Segerman and music journalist Craig Bartholomew contacted people, friends, anyone connected with Rodriguez; they analyzed his songs searching for any traces or details of the singer's death.

Arts of filming

The camera is panning Cape Town from the bottom to the top. Following the two fans on the cars, in the bar, in the streets and suburbs  searching for "Sugar Man".  The director uses the camera to investigate, across the cities, across the countries. And finally it found him, in Detroit.

The first person showed his her daughter, who commented on the blog set up in order to find his father. “Sugar Man” is alive and has a family. 

He made the anti-conformist choice to live his own life. Rodriguez didn’t care about public recognitions and the superficial and excited sense of fame and popularity. He lives in a modest house in the suburb and walks every day to go to work. The camera pans his steps, following him in the street. He doesn’t care about the camera and keep straight.

The anti-hero who chose a normal.

His behaviours is quite different from the mass. Maybe he is shy, maybe he is just a realistic man who knows dreams and popularity can’t make you happy.

People try all the ways through to be in front of the camera, to be on the stage and have a bit of popularity.

"Sugar man" is the antithesis of a star. He wrote songs from his thoughts, dreams, sensations and emotions. And then he disappeared to live his private life.

People look for a public life and this is more important than other decisions as having a families and children. People though he died for suicide because of drugs and alcohol. A wrong thought. He was rising up his three daughters and working in renovation of buildings.

This is what people today do not understand: living your own life. Nowadays a public image and appearance counts more. All is around the desire to be famous, have recognised your talent not because you have it but because you can show it to other people, all over the world. People have lost the sense and value of good principles. Things that really matter have been completely forgotten. Our life is a reality show where everyone wants to be on the screen to show his/her private. 

There is no more difference between public and private, even worse people want their private on the top of the programming. Personal life makes gossips and VIP scandals make more money than a respectable job.

Where is the limit of your private, your personal space, your individuality, your identity?

Where are you? You do not think anymore but it is the mass, the audience, the public of the reality show that thinks for you and you do what they want, what make them excited about.

"Sugar man" is the antihero. He is the anti-model of our corrupted society.

When dreams come true.

The Rodriguez’s revenge starts when Steve Segerman and Craig Bartholomew discovered him in Detroit. Finally “Sugar man” can have his moment of glory. He flew to Africa where he was recognised as a music master. During his concert, the stadium full of people of any ages screaming and crying just because they were able to see their idol.

Rodriguez came to the modern world build on superficial appearance. Like a dream never expected. Publicity, advertising, photos in a newspaper, press interview. All for him. All like a present never received. 

After that day in Africa he is back to Detroit and the dream stops.

The camera could film him. The media have got their icon. And they use him and his images to make money. They do not need him any more. He hasn't made money from that day.  Someone else makes money, someone that use people and sell dreams in order to make money, delivering dreams and emotions to the public.

One of the daughters tells it clearly. Someone else is rich, not my father. We live a modest life.

Searching for a real person, searching for the man that as sugar sweets the heart of the Africans and then disappears leaving the nice taste in your mouth. 
Sugar is sweet, but it melts very quickly.
Your 90 sec of popularity are like sugar. You will remember forever the amazing experience, but after that nothing left. Just a desire to have more of it.