Searching for Sugar Man and Universal Themes

I wrote about the story of Rodriguez and Searching for Sugar Man last October It's an amazing underdog story. First time film maker Malik Bendjelloul learned about Rodriguez's story and decided to make a documentary even though he never had directed a film before. If this true story was a fiction film, you would say it never could have happened. To recap -- Folk singer Rodriguez recorded two albums in the early 1970s in Detroit. They didn't sell well in the US, and he made his living as a day laborer. Somehow, the albums made it to South Africa, where they connected with the anti-government protest movements. Roridguez's songs became the soundtrack of the South African anti-apartheid movement. He sold thousands of albums, although he didn't know that until fans from South Africa tracked him down. It's an incredible story and it really happened. Any major film company could have produced a documentary about this or bought Rodriguez's story to make a movie -- only they didn't. It took Bendjelloul, a man who was so passionate about the story that he decided to become a documentarian and spend his life savings in order to bring this story to world. His faith and hard work, and that of Rodriguez, was validated by the Academy with the Oscar for best documentary. Their success shows once again the power of story and importance of universal themes. Who among us doesn't think they deserve more appreciation for their work? Don't we all secretly believe that if the world knew about us we would be famous? Bendjelloul recognized the power of Rodriguez's story, and its universal appeal made the film popular and carried the day with the Academy. A great story, even if told badly, will affect more people than a bad story told well. In your work, look for the great stories. Pick ones with Universal themes that people can relate to. Who knows, someday you, too, may have as much impact as Rodriguez, and perhaps even win an Academy Award.