Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

This thrilling roller coaster film essay pulls together American jazz and the geopolitical machinations of the 1950s and 60s to deliver an insightful interpretation of the 1961 CIA-led assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first PM of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The film is propelled by the rhythms of jazz musicians of the day - Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie - who were sent to perform around the world as ambassadors for American goodwill and freedom despite pernicious segregation laws back home. By interweaving the compelling soundtrack with archival footage and interviews with agents and musicians, we see how art was art but also how it was used as a tool for nefarious actions that the artists themselves opposed. Extraordinary filmmaking. 

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Year: 2024

Runtime: 2hr 30m

Cert: 12A

Director: Johan Grimonprez

Starring: Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

Genre: Documentary, Music

in English, French, Dutch & Russian