Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat

Grimonprez crafts a daring political essay film that unfolds like an improvisational jazz piece. Set against the backdrop of Africa’s decolonization process during the Cold War, the film focuses on the path leading to the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, while juxtaposing the implicit role of U.S. jazz legends like Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie in masking American political maneuvers in Africa. SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT interweaves archival footage, memoirs, readings, and writings with performances by figures ranging from Khrushchev to Malcolm X, building to a final scene that crescendos in a breathtaking climax. (Senem Aytaç)