Searching for Sugar Man director Malik Bendjelloul is dead at 36

Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul was found dead in Stockholm on Tuesday. Bendjelloul, 36, made just one film in his short career, but that one documentary — Searching for Sugar Man, about mysterious, obscure (outside of South Africa)1970s American folk-rocker Sixto Rodriguez — won him an Oscar in 2013 for best documentary, along with numerous other awards. Police didn't give a cause of death, but said they don't suspect foul play.

Bendjelloul, also a child actor in a Swedish TV show, will mostly be remembered for Sugar Man, a self-financed, largely DIY project that took four years to complete. That's quite a legacy for a life cut too short. --Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.