Dare to Dissemble is my little online ranting place, where I air my thoughts about the ridiculous state of affairs at the University of Alberta--a formerly strong public institution with tons of potential being driven into the ground by inept governance and irresponsible government funding policies. Comments are welcome, but not expected. Like most blogs on the internet, this one languishes in obscurity and is read for the most part by its proprietor.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Movie Friday: Searching for Sugar Man
I saw an amazing movie this week, Searching for Sugar Man. This documentary tells the story of a failed folk artist from the early 1970s, Rodriguez, who inexplicably became immensely popular in South Africa. Convinced that he had committed suicide onstage, but completely deprived of any biographical information, some of his fans set out to find the truth. And the truth proved to be quite unexpected: after releasing two albums that failed to sell and being dropped by his label, Rodriguez had returned to a simple life of manual labor, and was alive and well and living in his hometown of Detroit. The latter part of the movie details the resurrection of his career through a series of concerts in South Africa, and he is now enjoying belated success as a musician. It won the 2012 Academy Award for documentary films.
It's the ultimate feel-good story, because Rodriguez is so obviously a good guy, unpretentious and with no aspirations of success. It's also very interesting to learn about the effect his music had on the nascent anti-apartheid movement among young whites in South Africa. Finally, there's the music. This guy wrote some great songs, including "Sugar Man," from his first album Cold Fact.
Anyway, here is the trailer. See this film if you have the chance.
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