Soundtrack to a Coup d'État (2024)

In the 1960s, many African countries fought for their independence from the European colonial powers. While the Soviet Union and other socialist countries support decolonization, the USA and its Western allies view this with skepticism. Their interest primarily lies in the natural resources which they want to maintain control over.
The USA tries to adopt unconventional methods and sends jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone as ambassadors to African states to portray the West positively, while figures like Malcolm X and other jazz artists solidarize with the independence movement at the same time.

Premiere

21 Jul 2025

Director

Johan Grimonprez

Cast

Patrice Lumumba, Dag Hammarskjöld, Louis Armstrong, Nikita Khrushchev, Dizzy Gillespie, In Koli Jean Bofane, Larry Devlin, Andrée Blouin, Abbey Lincoln, Malcolm X, Max Roach, Art Blakey

Countries

Belgium, France, Netherlands

Languages

Arabic, Dutch, English, French, Russian

Available Versions

OmU

Open-Air Showtimes

No