Soundtrack to a Coup d'État

Six months after the admission of sixteen newly independent African countries to the UN, a political earthquake shifted the majority of votes away from the colonial Western powers. As Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev slams his shoe in indignation over the UN’s complicity in the overthrow of Lumumba, the US seeks refuge in jazz. Afraid of losing its Congolese uranium, they send music legends such as Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington to Africa to distract from the CIA-backed coup. Meanwhile, Armstrong and others struggle with a painful dilemma: how to represent a country where racial segregation is still very much alive? Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat is a fiery, energetic piece of colonial history as well as a vibrant jazz concert. Sharp and richly detailed, director Johan Grimonprez unravels the decolonization of Congo, exposing the assassination of Lumumba in 1961 and the involvement of Belgian and American governments. By interweaving jazz music with political intrigue, he paints a powerful picture of colonialism, racism and the ongoing struggle for Congolese resources. Combined with an editing that is as jazzy as the soundtrack, the Special Jury Award at Sundance and a triumphant tour of many film festivals, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat makes for the must-see documentary of the year.