Story
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.
Director
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.Trailer
Info
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Documentary Feature
English, French
Veto! | FF2024
Belgium, France, Netherlands
2024
150 min
OV with English subtitles
Johan Grimonprez
Johan Grimonprez
Patrice Lumumba, Louis Armstrong, Andrée Blouin, Nina Simone, Nikita Krutschev, Eisenhower, Fidel Castro, Duke Elligton
Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety, Katja Draaijer, Frank Hoeve
Jonathan Wannyn
Ranko Pauković, Alek "Bunic" Goosse
Rik Chaubet
Johan Grimonprez
Mediawan Rights
Onomatopee Films and Warboys Films
Zap-O-Matik, Baldr Film, ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, RTBF Télévision Belge & VRT
Mediawan Rights, Kilian Kiefel: kkiefel@mediawan.com
Tags
DocumentaryHistorySocietyViolenceGlobalisationWarHuman RightsMusicPolitics and PowerRacism and DiscriminationDeath and Loss