This film is part of our Best of 2024 list.
February 16, 1961. Two jazz musicians, Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach, storm the UN Security Council in protest against the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Congo. It is six months after the admission of sixteen newly independent African nations to the UN—a political earthquake that shifts the majority vote away from the colonial Western powers. As Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe in outrage over the UN's complicity in Lumumba's overthrow, the U.S. turns to jazz. Fearing the loss of Congolese uranium, they send musical legends like Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington to Africa to distract from the CIA-backed coup. Meanwhile, Armstrong and others grapple with a painful dilemma: how can they represent a country where racial segregation still thrives?
Soundtrack to a Coup d’État crackles with energy, blending a searing piece of colonial history with the vibrancy of a live jazz concert. Sharp and richly detailed, director Johan Grimonprez unravels the decolonization of Congo, exposing the assassination of Lumumba in 1961 and the complicity of Belgian and U.S. governments. By weaving jazz music into the political intrigue, Grimonprez crafts a powerful narrative of colonialism, racism, and the relentless struggle over Congo's resources. With a montage as jazzy as its soundtrack, a Special Jury Award at Sundance, and accolades from numerous film festivals, Soundtrack to a Coup d’État is the must-see documentary of the year.