1961. The Belgian and US governments join forces to keep their power in Congo. In the aftermath of the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the CIA uses jazz artists as a distraction from Western interference in post-colonial African politics. Against the backdrop of the Cold War, jazz and decolonisation thus become inextricably linked.

Soundtrack to a Coup d'état contains a wealth of archival material: from audio memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev, to excerpts of Andrée Blouin, a forgotten pioneer of female emancipation and independence in Africa. This rock-solid, overwhelming film about jazz as a secret weapon has already won awards at several festivals.

DIRECTION: JOHAN GRIMONPREZ; GENRE: DOCUMENTARY; BELGIUM; 2024; 2H30; FRENCH, ENGLISH, DUTCH AND RUSSIAN SPOKEN, DUTCH SUBTITLES