Malik Bendjelloul, a Swedish filmmaker who directed the Oscar-winning
documentary Searching for Sugarman, died on Tuesday 13 May, at the age of
36.
Stockholm police have stated that they are not suspicious that any crime took
place however; the circumstances of Malik’s death are still unknown.
Jan Goransson, spokesperson for the Swedish Film Institute said, “This terrible
news has put us all in a state of shock. Malik Bendjelloul was one of our most
exciting film makers, which the Oscar award last year was a clear proof of.”
Swedish film critic Hynek Pallas added, “He was an incredibly talented
storyteller. He had the strength of a marathon runner; to work on his film for so
many years and sometimes without money, then you have a goal.”
In addition to the 2013 Oscar, Searching for Sugar Man, received a BAFTA, a
Director’s Guild award, a Producer’s Guild award, a Writer’s guild award as well
as the 2012 International Documentary Association award. The film told the
mysterious story of Sixto Rodriguez, an anonymous musician who, unbeknownst
to him, had gained a large following in South Africa despite having fallen off the
public radar. After Searching for Sugar Man was released the singer experienced
new found fame and an unexpected revival of his career.
Bendjelloul directed a number of other documentaries about singers including
Elton John, Rod Stewart, Bjork and German electronic group Kraftwerk.
View the Searching for Sugar Man interview with Malik Bendjelloul and Sixto
Rodriguez.
