Paul Simon recalls his return to South Africa like a family reunion — musical brothers getting back together after decades apart.

The trip last summer to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his “Graceland” album was a far more joyous occasion than some earlier travels on behalf of the record.

The Sundance Film Festival documentary “Under African Skies” chronicles the creation of “Graceland,” its overnight success and the furor it caused as critics accused Simon of impeding progress to abolish South Africa’s system of racial segregation known as apartheid.

Simon said he was surprised by protests that sprang up on his “Graceland” tour in the 1980s. But looking back, he said the album and tour with South African musicians raised awareness that helped end apartheid in the 1990s.