Searching

If you haven't seen Searching for Sugarman, do yourselves a big flavor and watch it without further due. The Oscar-winning documentary will knock you out of your socks. It is said (although not widely believed) that man has a destiny, that there are higher powers at play that may determine the course of his existence. I partly believe this theory although watching this movie almost entirely convinced me that fate is very, very real. Rodriguez is an artist from Detroit who in the 70's, by some mysterious tour de force, got a record deal with the biggest names in the music industry at the time. His albums, however, failed to bring commercial success in the US; he was subsequently dropped and returned to doing odd manual jobs across the Steel city. Fast forward 20 years; two South African men, at the very beginning of the Internet, try to find the artist who, in their country, is more popular than the Stones (by some mysterious power, his vinyl made its way to Africa). The movie is beautifully shot, the story is compelling, and the mysterious Sugarman is an example of triumph in the face of adversity. Throughout the movie, despite acknowledging that he's essentially been cheated of millions by his record label, he continues to project this kind of zen aura that is rarely seen. This is what good cinema should be: stories that empower, stories that inspire and stories that ultimately stay with you long after the credits have rolled. Watch it. Thank me later. xox