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Showtimes
Saturday, January 11
7:30pm
Sunday, January 12
3:30pm
Saturday, January 18
7:30pm
Sunday, January 19
3:30pm – Screening
6:00pm – Post-Film Discussion
Ticketing
$12 /General Admission
$10 /FACETS Members
Buy Tickets
★★★1/2 – “Soundtrack to a Coup d’État succeeds as an intense piece of reclamation and rejuvenation.” – Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
“The film plays like both a dense historical text and a lively jazz concert while proving itself to be an invigorating piece of documentary filmmaking.” – Murtada Elfadl, Variety
Soundtrack to a Coup d’État is a dynamic essay film that explores the collision of African politics and American jazz.
Set in 1960, it opens with a political upheaval at the UN, jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crashing the Security Council to protest Lumumba’s murder. The U.S. sends Louis Armstrong, in a “cool war” offensive, to the Congo as a distraction from the CIA-backed coup and the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, succinctly sets out the international context of the Cold War, the American civil rights movement and the Non-Aligned Movement in the UN, before zooming in on the assassination of Congo’s first democratically elected leader, Patrice Lumumba, in 1961 and the direct involvement of the Belgian and US governments, which feared losing their grip on Congolese uranium.
Multimedia artist and filmmaker Johan Grimonprez, after acclaimed essays such as dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y (1997) and Double Take (2009), presents a cine-collage of archive footage, interviews, text (with footnotes) and music, proposing a new jazz soundtrack to the paranoid style of American politics, trying to export jazz music by black American musicians to Africa, to win hearts and minds. Through archival accounts, government memos, and jazz icons, this remarkable film offers a timely reflection on colonial history and the powerful link between music and political movements, delivering a powerful critique of colonial power, that continues to resonate today.
Charles Coleman, FACETS Film Program Director has selected Soundtrack to Coup d’État as one of his 2024 Top Ten Films.
In English, French, Dutch and Russian with English subtitles.
Directed by Johan Grimonprez, Belgium/France/Netherlands, 2024, 150 mins.
POST-FILM DISCUSSION – Sunday, January 19th
The post-film discussion will explore the intersection of art, music, and politics, examining how Soundtrack to a Coup d’État connects with broader struggles for liberation and cultural identity in Africa and the African diaspora. Drawing on Floyd Webb’s experience as a filmmaker and curator, alongside David Boykin’s expertise as a composer, the discussion will aim to engage the audience in a dialogue about the power of music and film in resistance and storytelling. The event will close with a solo saxophone performance by David Boykin.
This discussion will be moderated by Charles Coleman, FACETS Film Program Director.
SPEAKER BIOS
Floyd Webb is a filmmaker, historian, and curator with expertise in the intersection of culture, politics, and art. As founder of Blacknuss.tv, a platform celebrating Black global cinema, he recognizes the cultural power of music for social and political commentary. His extensive experience includes producing and curating documentaries, including the award-winning Daughters of the Dust and PBS American Masters The World of Nat King Cole, and exploring African and global histories. An alumnus of Chicago’s AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) School of Music, Floyd is deeply rooted in jazz and avant-garde music traditions. During the African Liberation Wars of the 1974 -1988, he spent time in East Africa, where he witnessed firsthand the role of art, culture, and music in revolutionary movements, bringing a unique perspective to the discussion of Soundtrack for a Coup d’Etat.
David Boykin is a celebrated composer and saxophonist whose groundbreaking work in the jazz tradition has firmly established him as one of Chicago’s premier artists. His compositions explore the intersections of sound, identity, and resistance, making his voice particularly resonant for a film like Soundtrack to a Coup d’État. David’s connection to the AACM is a cornerstone of his artistic journey, and as a member of this internationally renowned organization, he has performed with AACM ensembles, bringing the revolutionary spirit and creativity of the Chicago jazz tradition to audiences worldwide. He has released over 20 album length recordings and has exhibited artwork at the University of Chicago and the Chicago Art Department. His work reflects the AACM’s commitment to innovation, cultural expression, and the profound role of music in the struggle for freedom and self-determination.
Festivals, Awards, & Nominations
Winner – Best Editing, International Documentary Association 2024
Nominee – Best Documentary Feature, Gotham Awards 2024
Nominee – Best Documentary, Film Independent Spirit Awards 2024
