Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Director Johan Grimonprez's film is an unusually structure documentary blending music, soundbites, interviews, archival footage, and narration from different sources to examine jazz, decolonization, subversion, autonomy, political assassination, and Cold War clashing ideologies all through the lens of the murder of prime minister Patrice Lumumba of the newly independent Congo which was unwittingly aided by Louis Armstrong in his role as an ambassador to Africa.
The merging of jazz and politics gives Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat a unique structure and style that can be both mesmerizing and a bit off-putting at the same time given its 150-minute running time as you may yearn for a bit more straightforward structure before all is said and done. As a piece of filmmaking, it's certainly worthy of discussion and as a primer into the events it is equally successful shinning a light and making connections on events many may not be all that aware of in fascinating ways.
Watch the trailer- Title: Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
- IMDb: link
