Writer and Director: Johan Grimonprez
The Cold War has never sounded so good as in this groundbreaking documentary about the struggle for independence of the Congolese people and the failings of the United Nations. With a soundtrack featuring the greats of American jazz, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone, director Johan Grimonprez’s film also reveals how the Cold War also concealed a fight for the human rights of Black people, not just in a colonised Africa, but in the so-called Land of the Free too.
The story of Congolese independence is a complicated one – and continues to be so – but Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat doesn’t shy away from these difficulties; instead, it is full of detail, overbrimming with names and seemingly random black-and-white images of land and animals. Quotes from politicians’ memoirs and interviews are displayed on screen, along with footage of Gillespie’s puffed cheeks and Simone’s melancholic face. Sometimes, the information and the sound are overwhelming, but the story of how America and Russia fought their never-ending war in a newly independent Congo is consistently gripping.
The film’s main strand is the political life of Patrice Lumumba, who, as head of the independence movement in Congo, strives to free his country from Belgian rule. Belgium at first imprisons him for his beliefs, but when the colonisers realise that Lumumba’s influence is too strong, Belgium reluctantly grants independence to Congo, sending over (white) King Baudouin to officiate the process. Here, all to the thrilling sound of a cacophony of jazz playing in the background, Lumumba gives a surprise speech condemning the imperialist and racist actions of the colonisers. The King turns to an aide, asking, “Was he meant to give a speech?”
America has a close eye on what is happening in the Congo as the African country is a major supplier of uranium, a key component of atomic weapons. Soon after Congolese independence, the southern state of Katanga breaks away through the involvement of Belgium and possibly the US, for it is in Katanga where most of the uranium-rich mines are located. Belgium plans a coup d’etat, determined to get rid of Lumumba.
While this is a fascinating but brutal story, the real drama takes place in the United Nations headquarters in New York, where President Eisenhower and the Soviet Union’s First Secretary Khrushchev clash over Congo and colonialism in general. Letters and memoirs suggest that Eisenhower orders Lumumba’s assassination. In contrast, Khrushchev, cuddly and smiley, calls for the end of imperialism. He’s a real hero in this film, although Grimonprez offers no motives for the Russian’s liberatory policies.
However, Khrushchev is not the only hero. Lumumba is an eloquent and engaging Congolese Prime Minister garnering worldwide support, not least from Malcolm X, who compares the racist system of colonialism to the systemic abuse of human rights for Black people in the US. His filmed speeches and interviews are electric, and his meeting with Fidel Castro in Harlem is a stunning reminder of America’s fear of communism. And there are female heroes, too: Andrée Blouin, part of Lumumba’s Government who galvanises support from women and American writer Maya Angelou who storms the UN building in another coup d’etat.
What has jazz to do with this, one might ask? Louis Armstrong is asked by America to visit the Congo, not knowing it’s a CIA operation. He’s greeted with open arms but, hailing from a country that still enforces segregation, what kind of message is he able to deliver? The jazz – and the drums of Max Roach and the voice of Abbey Lincoln will wrench anyone’s heart – is mixed with Congolese Rumba, showing that both musical genres are a force for liberation for Black people across the world. The life of Patrice Lumumba looks and sounds vital. Wild is the wind, indeed.
Soundtrackto aCoupD’Etat will launch on BFI Player on 20 December and TVOD on major streaming platforms on 30 December.