Tragic News About Director Malik Bendjelloul

The world lost a great talent this week. Director Malik Bendjelloul, 36, committed suicide Tuesday, his brother confirmed Wednesday to a Swedish newspaper. The Oscar-winning director of the 2013 documentary Searching For Sugar Man was allegedly battling depression prior to his suicide attempt. The director's death is a shock to both his family and his friends. His producer of Searching For Sugar Man, Simon Chinn, tells The Associated Press that Bendjelloul's death rocked him:

I saw him two weeks ago in London. He was so full of life, hope and optimism and happiness, and looking forward to the future and future collaborations. We were talking about working together and talking about specific ideas, so the idea that he is no longer is just too hard to process.

Tragically, Bendjelloul was just beginning his career as a documentary filmmaker. The director got the idea for Searching For Sugar Man — a documentary about a failed Detroit musician who learns that he has achieved great fame in South Africa — while backpacking around the world. It took the filmmaker nearly four years to make and won him the coveted Best Documentary Oscar at the 2013 Academy Awards.

May he rest in peace.