Thu, Nov 14
|Vilas Hall
UW Cinematheque: Soundtrack To A Coup D'état
The surprising link between American jazz and the fate of the Congo is brought to light in this riveting essay film.
Time & Location
Nov 14, 2024, 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Vilas Hall, Vilas Communication Hall, 821 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706, USA
About
SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT
Belgium, France, Netherlands | 2024 | DCP | 150 min. | French, Dutch, Russian with English subtitles
Director: Johan Grimonprez
The surprising link between American jazz and the fate of the Congo is brought to light in this riveting essay film. In the early 1960s, the US sent well-intentioned legends like Louis Armstrong to Africa as diplomatic ambassadors—and to act as a smokescreen for the coup against Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. Soon after, drummer Max Roach crashed the United Nations assembly in protest. Propelled by a killer jazz soundtrack, this invigorating montage will open both your eyes and ears. “Crackling with energy, ideas, and formal daring. Political history has never felt so energizing and dynamically alive as it does here.” (Screen Daily). (MK)