Patrice Lumumba was the first democratically elected prime minister of the Republic of Congo from June to September 1960 after his country declared its independence from Belgium. In February 1961, Lumumba was murdered and the country’s leadership was once again in the hands of Belgian loyalists. Jojan Grimonprez takes Lumumba’s life, around which an incredibly complex web of historical and cultural processes and political intrigues is spun, as the core of his essay film. The world is radically changing, and the Republic of Congo was just one of many African countries that emancipated themselves from colonialism, and suddenly had a global political say and control over war-strategic resources at the height of the Cold War. Malcolm X, Fidel Castro, and Nikita Khrushchev were all very interested in how things would pan out for Congo. The US tried to restore the old order by sending out "jazz ambassadors" such as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, while still practicing racial segregation among its own citizens. The musicians were supposed to cover up the dirty actions, but did so reluctantly or not at all.

In SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D’ETAT, jazz, blues, and bebop become their own commenting voice in the chorale of the historical films, interviews, documents and correspondence that the film presents, always with sources. More than a documentary, STACE is a multimedia presentation in the cinema that does not even attempt to explain a complex situation neatly, but in an act of visual and auditory overwhelm, it provides 1000 insights into a chapter of history, shows patterns and awakens the desire to explore everything in more detail for yourself.

Christian Klose (INDIEKINO MAGAZIN)

Translation: Elinor Lewy