Searching for Sugar Man poster

Searching for Sugar Man

Great Art Always Survives

7.9(1,079)20121h 25m4

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller, Rodriguez.

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Status
Released
Budget
$1M
Box office
$3.7M
Language
English
  • musician
  • 1970s
  • mayor
  • south africa
  • icon
  • based on true story
  • music business
  • election
  • detroit, michigan
  • reading
  • recording
  • city council

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Produced in

Sweden, United Kingdom

Gallery

Still from Searching for Sugar ManStill from Searching for Sugar ManStill from Searching for Sugar ManStill from Searching for Sugar ManStill from Searching for Sugar ManStill from Searching for Sugar ManStill from Searching for Sugar ManStill from Searching for Sugar Man

Videos

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • TheatricalPG-1327 Jul 2012
  • United KingdomGB

    • Theatrical27 Jul 2012
  • AustraliaAU

    • TheatricalM4 Oct 2012
  • CzechiaCZ

    • Theatrical30 Jun 2012
  • DenmarkDK

    • Theatrical1530 Jun 2012
  • FinlandFI

    • Theatrical (limited)K-1630 Jun 2012
  • FranceFR

    • Theatrical26 Dec 2012
  • GermanyDE

    • Theatrical0Hamburg Film Festival5 Oct 2012
  • GreeceGR

    • TheatricalΚ21 Nov 2013
    • PhysicalDVD28 Feb 2014
  • IrelandIE

    • Theatrical1227 Jul 2012
  • ItalyIT

    • PremiereBiografilm Festival7 Jun 2013
    • Theatrical (limited)10 Jun 2013
  • LithuaniaLT

    • TheatricalN-1324 Jul 2015

Frequently asked questions

Searching for Sugar Man was released on 30 June 2012.

Audience reviews

5
  • A

    Andres Gomez

    4/5/2014

    6/10

    An interesting story in a well driven story and high quality cut. However, it tries to be much more epic than what it actually is.

  • C

    Cavalli

    8/11/2019

    8/10

    An unlikely and interesting story that is part historical, part investigation and ultimately satisfying. The historical backdrop of South Africa's dictatorship years and of the lack of communication it had with the outside world are key in understanding why this strange story could happen in the first place.

  • I

    Igbochild

    7/6/2022

    10/10

    An endlessly fascinating and compelling story involving Rodriguez, a talented American singer-songwriter that should have been a household name, but instead quickly faded into obscurity. Long rumored to have died under tragic circumstances, his music develops a cult following among the Afrikaner youth. Rebelling against the oppressive and isolationist system of Apartheid, Rodriguez's music becomes a soundtrack for th…

  • B

    badelf

    9/10/2022

    10/10

    This is probably the most enjoyable documentary film I've ever seen. It's about a singer from the 70s whom I've never heard of (although I'm old enough) even though he's clearly a better poet and songwriter than Bob Dylan (yes, I said that and I'm a poet so there's my credentials). If you know anything about the record industry, and about the reality of discrimination in the United States, then it's easy to understan…

  • C

    CinemaSerf

    3/14/2024

    7/10

    This is quite a curious documentary that at times made me wonder if the whole story was an hoax. It's all about Sixto Rodriguez who made a couple of albums in the early 1970s that had some critical acclaim but didn't track at all with the audience. Well not in the USA, they didn't. In South Africa it was rumoured that they shifted almost half a million copies before the singer was reputed to have set himself on fire …

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