Praised as an “eye-opening, never-going-back, stomach-in-mouth film” by the press, described as “a remarkable documentary” by The New York Times, and called “a revitalizing documentary” by Variety—Soundtrack to a Coup d’État earns its acclaim for good reason.
This gripping film recounts the independence of Congo and the assassination of Patrice Lumumba while drawing bold parallels between jazz and decolonization. It masterfully unveils the interference of Western international institutions, exposing the universality of racial injustices and white domination over other peoples to maintain existing power structures. Soundtrack to a Coup d’État stands out for its exceptional use of archival footage and a vibrant soundtrack to tell powerful stories, highlighting the profound impact of music on the political struggles of the era. It explores how resistance was expressed, both in concerts and on the global stage.
The film received the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation at the Sundance Film Festival. It was also selected for major international festivals and nominated for Oscar for Best Documentary at the 97th Academy Awards.
This gripping film recounts the independence of Congo and the assassination of Patrice Lumumba while drawing bold parallels between jazz and decolonization. It masterfully unveils the interference of Western international institutions, exposing the universality of racial injustices and white domination over other peoples to maintain existing power structures. Soundtrack to a Coup d’État stands out for its exceptional use of archival footage and a vibrant soundtrack to tell powerful stories, highlighting the profound impact of music on the political struggles of the era. It explores how resistance was expressed, both in concerts and on the global stage.
The film received the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation at the Sundance Film Festival. It was also selected for major international festivals and nominated for Oscar for Best Documentary at the 97th Academy Awards.
Overview of some festivals:
Sundance Film Festival, Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation, USA (2024)
MoMA Doc Fortnight, USA (2024)
Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival, Greece (2024)
CPH DOX, Denmark (2024)
Sofia IFF, Bulgaria (2024)
Sundance Film Festival, Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation, USA (2024)
MoMA Doc Fortnight, USA (2024)
Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival, Greece (2024)
CPH DOX, Denmark (2024)
Sofia IFF, Bulgaria (2024)
| Director | Johan Grimonprez |
| Director of Photography | Jonathan Wannyn |
| Music director | Johan Grimonprez |
| Editing | Rik Chaubet |
In Partnership with
Present in these collections
Sessions
• Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
Saturday, march 22, 2025, 01:00 p.m. — 03:30 p.m.
• Université Concordia - H110, Pavillon Henry F. Hall
Saturday, march 22, 2025, 02:30 p.m. — 05:00 p.m.
Production
Johan Grimonprez
Who owns our imagination in a world of existential vertigo where truth has become a shipwrecked refugee? Is it the storyteller who can contain contradictions, who can slip between the languages we have been given to become a time-traveler of the imagination? Johan Grimonprez’s critically acclaimed work dances on the borders of theory and practice, between art and cinema, going beyond the dualisms of documentary and fiction, other and self, mind and brain to weave new pathways in how we perceive our realities.
Informed by an archeology of present-day media, his work depicts intimate stories that brush up against the bigger picture of globalization. It questions our collective imagination, one framed by a fear industry that has infected political and social dialogue. By suggesting new narratives through which to tell a story, his work emphasizes a multiplicity of realities. Our histories and memories are not only a means to reimagine our contested past, but also tools to negotiate our shared presents. In Wonderland, the Queen rephrases it to Alice: “It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.”
Biographical notes provided by the film production team and edited by Le FIFA’s team
Informed by an archeology of present-day media, his work depicts intimate stories that brush up against the bigger picture of globalization. It questions our collective imagination, one framed by a fear industry that has infected political and social dialogue. By suggesting new narratives through which to tell a story, his work emphasizes a multiplicity of realities. Our histories and memories are not only a means to reimagine our contested past, but also tools to negotiate our shared presents. In Wonderland, the Queen rephrases it to Alice: “It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.”
Biographical notes provided by the film production team and edited by Le FIFA’s team
Selected films :
Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade (2016)
Double Take (2009)
Looking for Alfred (2005)
Dial H‑I-S-T-O-R‑Y (1997)
Kobarweng or Where is Your Helicopter? (1992)
Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade (2016)
Double Take (2009)
Looking for Alfred (2005)
Dial H‑I-S-T-O-R‑Y (1997)
Kobarweng or Where is Your Helicopter? (1992)
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