Soundtrack to a Coup d'État

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Soundtrack to a Coup d'État

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2h 30m

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United Nations, 1960: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe, and the U.S. State Department swings into action, sending jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to Congo to deflect attention from the CIA-backed coup. Director Johan Grimonprez captures the moment when African politics and American jazz collided in this magnificent essay film, a riveting historical rollercoaster that illuminates the political machinations behind the 1961 assassination of Congo's leader Patrice Lumumba. Richly illustrated by eyewitness accounts, official government memos, testimonies from mercenaries and CIA operatives, speeches from Lumumba himself, and a veritable canon of jazz icons, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat interrogates colonial history to tell an urgent and timely story of precedent that resonates more than ever in today's geopolitical climate.

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Critics Consensus

Director Johan Grimonprez's sprawling documentary moves to a furious beat, laying out its thesis with an energy that's as enthralling as it is thought-provoking.

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Philip De Semlyen

Time Out

It’s the quietly magisterial Fiennes who steals the show. Don’t be surprised to see white smoke billowing out of the Academy Awards come March.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 22, 2024

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Aaron Tyme

Time Out

It might manifest as a straightforward historical documentary, but the fascinating, hypnotic Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat unfolds into something much deeper -- and more sinister.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 22, 2024

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

The effect, although lengthy at two-and-a-half hours, is dreamlike yet propulsive, a timeline that’s optimistic and sinister at the same moment.

Nov 19, 2024

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Lisa Laman

Culturess

The fierce creative instincts of Grimonprez and company ensure Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat’s resonates so vigorously.

Dec 20, 2024

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Kyle Logan

ScreenAnarchy

That the film answers "why?" [its titular coup occurred] both historically...and contemporarily...pushes it beyond a brilliantly constructed piece of historical documentation into meaningful agitprop for today.

Dec 17, 2024

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Jared Mobarak

Hey, Have You Seen ...?

The way Grimonprez weaves it all together is enlightening. His ability to also keep it kinetic with the jazz backdrop, damning text quotes, and visual callbacks for two-and-a-half hours is impressive.

Rated: 8/10

Dec 13, 2024

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Paula T

Strong combination of jazz and politics, much interesting documentary footage.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/15/24

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Johan Grimonprez

Director

Zap Mama

Narrator

In Koli Jean Bofane

Narrator

Patrick Cruise O'Brien

Narrator

Louis Armstrong

Self

Andrée Blouin

Self

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Soundtrack to a Coup d'État: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

United Nations, 1960: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe, and the U.S. State Department swings into action, sending jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to Congo to deflect attention from the CIA-backed coup. Director Johan Grimonprez captures the moment when African politics and American jazz collided in this magnificent essay film, a riveting historical rollercoaster that illuminates the political machinations behind the 1961 assassination of Congo's leader Patrice Lumumba. Richly illustrated by eyewitness accounts, official government memos, testimonies from mercenaries and CIA operatives, speeches from Lumumba himself, and a veritable canon of jazz icons, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat interrogates colonial history to tell an urgent and timely story of precedent that resonates more than ever in today's geopolitical climate.

Director: Johan Grimonprez
Producer: Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety
Screenwriter: Johan Grimonprez
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Warboys Films
Genre: Documentary, History, Music
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 7, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $21.4K
Runtime: 2h 30m

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