Searching for Sugar Man

News about the ex-South African president, the anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela are re-catching people's eyes after so many years. Sadly, it's because he is in critical situation of illness. Reviewing his bibliography is like reading a history book, I was like, oh wow, it's him who CREATES an legacy era, he's such a great person. (and you can see how little I know about South Africa, shame on me...)

Interestingly, recently you may find there is also a movie called 'Searching for sugar man' on screen. Rarely could you see a documentary can still being shown on Hong Kong cinemas after three months. It doesn't really have advertisements, so I believe it's good enough to make people share with their friends, and friends of friends, and it can 'survive' for such a long period.

This is probably the best movie I've seen this year. Nothing done with its Oscar-winning title, but you can find some long lost spirit from the Mexico-American Singer Rodriguez.

The reason why I link up Mandela and Rodriguez after watching the movie is: 1) they have charming characters, they have great talents but don't bother a materialistic life. Mandela was sentenced to the prison for 18 years; Rodriguez has been living as a lower class after 'false break' of his music dream; 2) Anti-apartheid spirit, Mandela by his politics, Rodriguez by his music; 3) despite of different nationalities, they are loved by South Africans, etc.

The documentary is not boring at all, it's like an onion, peeling from outside and you eventually know the whole story bit by bit. Hardly can you not be surprised of Rodriguez 's reaction to the success he owns in South Africa, which could have made him a famous singer, or at least, brought him much more income than he had been earning for most of his life...but he just keeps clam and lives as his own way. His lyrics are timeless:

I wonder how many times you been had 
And I wonder how many dreams have gone bad
I wonder how many times you had sex
And I wonder do you know who'll be next
I wonder I wonder wonder I do

Salute, Rodriguez.