# RIP, Malik Bendjelloul (director of "Searching for Sugar Man")

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-malik-bendjelloul-director-of-searching-for-sugar-man/688464>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 14, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-malik-bendjelloul-director-of-searching-for-sugar-man/688464 "2014-05-14T20:31:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-malik-bendjelloul-director-of-searching-for-sugar-man/688464/1 "2014-05-14T20:31:22Z")

</div>

> **[Malik Bendjelloul, Oscar-winning 'Searching for Sugar Man' director, dies | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/13/showbiz/malik-bendjelloul-searching-for-sugar-man-director-dies/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)**
>
> Malik Bendjelloul, the director who ran out of cash and finished shooting his Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” with a smartphone app, dies.

Though I found out later a lot of the “mystery” played up by the film was hokum, the film still moved me greatly, and I really enjoyed it.

Sorry to hear he’s gone.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-malik-bendjelloul-director-of-searching-for-sugar-man/688464/2 "2014-05-14T22:56:54Z")

</div>

I heard that it was listed as an accidental death, and that also there was somebody hit by a train in that area around the same time. Apparently with that kind of thing the government and press there keep it very private but the rumor is he jumped in front of a train.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-malik-bendjelloul-director-of-searching-for-sugar-man/688464/3 "2014-05-15T08:29:32Z")

</div>

> [@Bob Ducca](#):
>
> I heard that it was listed as an accidental death, and that also there was somebody hit by a train in that area around the same time. Apparently with that kind of thing the government and press there keep it very private but the rumor is he jumped in front of a train.

Um … the family have come out with it and said it was suicide.

In English:

> **[Searching for Sugar Man director Malik Bendjelloul found dead](https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/BJw7kv/searching-for-sugar-man-director-malik-bendjelloul-found-dead)**
>
> Bendjellouls family now confirms that the director took his own life. – I can confirm that it was suicide and that he had been suffering from depression for a s