Genres
Production Companies
Warboys Films
Zap-O-Matik
ZKM Karlsruhe
BALDR
RTBF
VRT
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Overview
Jazz and decolonization are intertwined in a powerful narrative that recounts one of the tensest episodes of the Cold War. In 1960, the UN became the stage for a political earthquake as the struggle for independence in the Congo put the world on high alert. The newly independent nation faced its first coup d'état, orchestrated by Western forces and Belgium, which were reluctant to relinquish control over their resource-rich former colony. The US tried to divert attention by sending jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to the African continent. In 1961, Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba was brutally assassinated, silencing a key voice in the fight against colonialism; his death was facilitated by Belgian and CIA operatives. Musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach took action, denouncing imperialism and structural racism. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev intensified his criticism of the US, highlighting the racial barriers that characterized American society.
Key Crew
Director: Johan Grimonprez
Producer: Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius
Writer: Johan Grimonprez
Top Cast
Patrice Lumumba
Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong
Self (archive footage)
Nikita Khrushchev
Self (archive footage)
Dizzy Gillespie
Self (archive footage)
Andrée Blouin
Self (archive footage)
Abbey Lincoln
Self (archive footage)
Max Roach
Self (archive footage)
Malcolm X
Self (archive footage)
Videos
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat – Official Trailer
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat - Official Trailer
