Q&A with Rodriguez and director Malik Bendjelloul - Blogs - SeattlePI

Musician Rodriguez and director Malik Bendjelloul took a few minutes out of their busy schedule to their documentary Searching for Sugar Man. Rodriguez and Malik ?talk about their experience making the film, trying to find funding, and Rodriguez musical effect in South Africa.

I grew up with my dad singing a lot so it was always part of my childhood. You?re music is in Searching for Sugar Man and it?s the backdrop to a beautiful story.

Rodriguez: Music is a great intro to life. It starts early with the mother singing to the child. Music is the celebration of life. Do you play any instruments?

I played the drums as a kid?.

R: I played percussion instruments. Some play piano as a percussion instrument?

I played piano too?

R: Dig it. It?s in the movement. Not like a football athlete, but more like a swimmer or a tennis player.

You mentioned sports. You know when athletes get in a zone, like Derek Jeter hitting 4 homeruns in a game; do you get that feeling when you?re on stage?

R: I?ll say it?s an art form. All the aspects of music teach us to organize, touch, and the pleasure of making music. When you collaborate with other musicians, that?s a great feeling too. It?s a cultural force.

[Malik] How did you get involved in this project?

Malik BendJelloul: It started in 2006. I use to work for Swedish TV and I quit my job and went traveling for six months looking for stories in Africa and South America. In Cape Town I met Steven Sugarman and he told me this story. I thought, ?Wow. This is the best story I ever heard in my life? [laughs]. I was just blown away.

Was it something in the story that stuck with you?

MB: I really love the story very much. There were a lot of obstacles. I didn?t get funding so it was pretty hard to make this film. I always thought the story needed to be told. It?s not just a story, it?s three things ? there?s music story about one of the greatest albums ever that nobody has heard of is kind of enough to make a film. Where the album was heard in South Africa, they talk about [Rodriguez] like the Beatles and Rolling Stone so that story was enough. Then you have this story where he?s a dead superstar and they start to find what happened. They do this big detective search and find out he?s alive and that?s enough. The third thing is this resurrection. When he performs for them in South Africa it?s like them seeing Elvis Presley come back to life.

You see that energy in the film. I?ve been to concerts before and I know that wow feeling of someone walking on stage?

R: That?s very true. It?s epic.

Was it strange hearing stories about your death?

R: The rumors I was told in ?96 by Sugarman. He came to visit me in Detroit and showed me the cds. They were overseas and that?s the thing, it made Sugar the hero of the film. He spearheaded a trio of detectives to sort my story out for their own interest.

How did you stay active musically all those years?

R: You always practice your chosen discipline. Something you want to do. In my case I need to do music. It kept me out of trouble, but probably got me into a lot of trouble too [everybody laughs]. It?s a social thing.

Malik is a self made director and he put this material together. I met Malik in ?08. There he took on the challenge of starting things out. The way he highlights the printing part is such a good thing.

It?s beautifully done?..

R: The shots of South Africa, the sweeping camera that just gives you a glimpse. Malik?s film has gotten a lot of attention. He won an award so it?s an exciting kind of pace.

I could imagine this process being tough. You?ve never made a film, but you have this great story. I?m sure it was difficult trying to convince people.

MB: I though the story would be enough to get a lot of funding but that was not the case. At the end I didn?t get any salary for years and I did most of the stuff on my kitchen table like the original store, the titles sequence, and the illustrations. For editing I would prefer a real editor, but I couldn?t afford it so I edited myself.

Did you have any idea what kind of film you were making at the time?

MB: Yes. I could tell when I was writing the script and outlining the story. The first part of the movie is them searching for a dead man. Some people said it wouldn?t really work because everyone would know he was alive. It didn?t really matter because it?s such a good story.

The way the film is was paced really helped. The reveal is so well done because you get a chance to see how Rodriguez music impacted people.

R: I compare it to Hitchcock. He creates suspense and holds your attention for a while. It?s very much musical in the way it?s structured.

I watched the opening sequence and wondered how I never heard your music. My dad said he could understand how someone?s great music can go unnoticed.

R: It?s been true for artist for years. Malik?s film is garnering all the attention it deserves. Dig this; the internet is here so his stuff is getting out globally.

Searching for Sugar Man opens Augsust 24th at Landmark Varsity

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/peoplescritic/2012/08/21/qa-with-rodriguez-and-director-malik-bendjelloul/

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