Johan Grimonprez’s documentary is one of the most unique, compelling, kinetic and insightful documentaries I have ever seen. It is audacious in its scope and speed, assuming its audience can keep up with what is both a detailed micro description of events in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1960 - but also a wider discourse on racism, decolonisation and political activism in America.
Basically, we have Patrice Lumumba desperately agitating for democracy and self-determination in the DRC at a time when African states were exploited by each side of the Cold War. At a time pre-dating the full-blown US civil rights struggle, we already have black musicians in the USA agitating for change too. We get the provocative contrast of the State Department exploiting iconic musicians like Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie - sending them on goodwill tours of Africa - with Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crashing the UN Security Council in protest at Lumumba's murder.
Why does the State Department give a shit? Because the DNC happens to sit on massive uranium reserves! Amazingly, I had studied this period for A-Level history, complete with Nikita Khrushchev banging his shoe on the desk at the UN. But I had never realised at which debate this was happening. Turns out, the Soviet premier was protesting the Cold War power grab in the DNC.
These strands and many more and interwoven into a dizzying, immersive and impressive film. It's a testament to its dynamic soundtrack and clarity of narrative construction that I never lost pace and could grasp its subtle arguments. Bravo to all involved.
SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT has a running time of 150 minutes.
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