Synopse
DOCUMENTARY In a whirlwind of archive material and music, the film shows how jazz was once used as an instrument of imperialism. A furious protest against the Western world’s mechanisms of suppression. In the 1960s, more and more African states started resisting the oppression of their European colonial masters. Their efforts were supported by socialist states, which caused the USA and their allies to intervene in unusual ways: jazz giants like Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie were sent to Africa as ambassadors of the Western world, while behind the scenes the CIA was busy targeting politicians like Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the newly independent Congo.
Regie
JOHAN GRIMONPREZ (*1962 in Belgium) is a Belgian film-maker, installation artist and curator, living in Gent and New York. His film essays and documentaries like Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y (1997), Double Take (2009) and Shadow World (2017) have been shown all over the world.
Info
Original Title: Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
International Title: Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Category: Documentary feature
Section: Veto!
Version & Subtitles: Russian, English, French OV with English subtitles
Director & Screenplay: Johan Grimonprez
Cast/Protagonists: Patrice Lumumba, Louis Armstrong, Andrée Blouin, Nina Simone, Nikita Krutschev, Eisenhower, Fidel Castro, Duke Elligton
Production country: Netherlands, France, Belgium
Year of Production: 2024
Length: 150 min
Producer: Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety, Katja Draaijer, Frank Hoeve
Production company: Onomatopee Films and Warboys Films
Cinematography: Jonathan Wannyn
Sound: Ranko Paukovic, Alek "Bunic" Goosse
Editor: Rik Chaubet
Music: Johan Grimonprez
World Sales: Kilian Kiefel, Mediawan Rights
