Malik Bendjelloul

Malik Bendjelloul was an Academy Award-winning filmmaker best known for his sole documentary feature, the Oscar-winning "Searching for Sugar Man" (2012). The son of Hacéne and Veronica Schildt Bendjelloul, he was born in Ystad, Sweden. As a teenager, Bendjelloul appeared in several episodes of the Swedish television series "Ebba och Didrik" (SVT 1990), which was directed by his uncle Peter Schildt. After graduating high school, he attended Kalmar University to study journalism and media production. Bendjelloul subsequently worked as a reporter for SVT. Using this experience as an investigative journalist, Bendjelloul joined two South African music fans, Stephen "Sugar" Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, in their search for the truth about the life and rumored death of American folk-rock singer/songwriter Sixto Rodriguez. After several years of filming, editing, and fighting for financial backing, Bendjelloul premiered "Searching for Sugar Man" at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The film, named for Rodriguez's signature song "Sugar Man," received widespread critical acclaim and won several awards, including an Oscar for Best Documentary at the 85th Academy Awards. It also introduced Rodriguez's music to a wider audience than he had enjoyed in his early '70s heyday, giving the long-retired musician a second career as a live performer. Bendjelloul's moment in the sun was tragically cut short when he committed suicide on May 12, 2014 by jumping in front a train. At the time of his death, Bendjelloul was working on his next film project, The Elephant Whisperer, based on the bestselling memoir by South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony.