“History is written by the victors.” But what if the cinema could rewrite it?
Johan Grimonprez’s Soundtrack to a Coup d’État (2024) is not just a documentary—it is a counter-history. Through a radical fusion of archival footage, jazz improvisation, and non-linear storytelling, the film reconstructs the events surrounding the CIA-backed assassination of Patrice Lumumba. Rather than following a conventional narrative, Grimonprez disrupts time, sound, and image to expose how history itself is shaped, controlled, and manipulated.
At the heart of the film are several pivotal historical events that reveal the entangled relationship between culture, politics, and espionage
Key Moments
- June 30, 1960 – The Democratic Republic of the Congo gains independence from Belgium. Patrice Lumumba becomes its first democratically elected Prime Minister.
- September 1960 – Nikita Khrushchev disrupts a United Nations session in New York, famously banging his shoe on the desk in protest of U.S. and Belgian-backed neo-colonial interventions in the Congo.
- January 17, 1961 – Patrice Lumumba is assassinated in an operation orchestrated by the CIA and Belgian intelligence.
- Early 1960s – The U.S. deploys “Jazz Ambassadors,” including Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Duke Ellington, as part of Cold War diplomacy, using jazz as soft power to win influence in newly independent African nations.
- 1964 – Malcolm X, shifting from civil rights to a broader Pan-African human rights agenda, seeks to bring charges against the U.S. at the United Nations for its role in colonial oppression. He meets with African leaders, including Kwame Nkrumah, urging solidarity between African nations and African Americans.
- Throughout the 20th century – The Congo remains central to global power struggles due to its vast reserves of uranium, essential for nuclear weapons. The same uranium used in the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs was mined in the Congo.
Soundtrack to a Coup d’État mimics the chaos and unpredictability of political coups, arguing that cinema—through its form and aesthetics—can be a tool of resistance. We’ll analyze its use of archival material, soundscapes, and fragmented narrative and draw comparisons to films like Soundtrack to War (2005), The Act of Killing (2012), and The Battle of Algiers (1966).
I. Disrupting the Timeline: A Narrative Coup
What happens when a film refuses to follow the rules of storytelling?
Most historical documentaries follow a linear sequence—introducing key figures, building tension, and arriving at a resolved conclusion. Soundtrack to a Coup d’État shatters this structure. Instead of presenting Lumumba’s rise and assassination as a simple chain of events, the film fragments time—juxtaposing Cold War propaganda, declassified intelligence reports, and jazz performances, requiring the viewer to reconstruct meaning actively.
This strategy achieves several objectives:
- It challenges Western historical narratives, which are often structured in a linear fashion, presenting history as a sequence of cause-and-effect events leading to a single resolution.
- It embraces a more cyclical, layered approach, mirroring how oral histories, decolonial perspectives, and jazz itself refuse strict linearity.
- It forces audiences to experience history as unstable and volatile—just as political coups are.
- It denies closure, mirroring the real-world consequences of political interference.
Comparison: The Act of Killing (2012)
Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing also deconstructs historical memory, allowing Indonesian death squad leaders to reenact their crimes in surreal, genre-bending scenes. Like Soundtrack to a Coup d’État, it denies audiences a singular, digestible truth, instead exposing the cracks in dominant narratives.
II. The Role of Soundscapes: Jazz as Political Resistance
Can music be an act of resistance?
Jazz is at the heart of Soundtrack to a Coup d’État—not merely as a soundtrack but as a narrative device. The improvisational nature of jazz mirrors the political instability of the Cold War era, as well as the unpredictability of political coups. The film documents how jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miriam Makeba were deployed as cultural ambassadors in an era when Black musicians were used—often unknowingly—as political tools.
Max Roach & Abbey Lincoln’s We Insist! Freedom Now Suite
A seminal protest album advocating for African independence. Roach and Lincoln famously disrupted a United Nations meeting in protest of Lumumba’s murder.
Louis Armstrong’s 1960 Tour of the Congo
Armstrong was sent on a goodwill mission to Africa as the U.S. government sought to distract from the CIA’s covert operations. Unbeknownst to him, his concert in Katanga coincided with a CIA-orchestrated uranium transport operation.
Comparison: Soundtrack to War (2005)
Michael Tucker’s Soundtrack to War (2005) documented how U.S. soldiers in Iraq used music—hip-hop, heavy metal, and blues—to process the violence around them. Like Soundtrack to a Coup d’État, it reveals how sound becomes a weapon, a coping mechanism, and a means of shaping reality.
III. Archival Footage as Counter-Memory
What if historical footage could be repurposed to tell a different truth?
Grimonprez does not merely use archival footage—he remixes it. The film juxtaposes Cold War-era propaganda with Lumumba’s speeches, creating a clash between official Western narratives and the lived reality of Congolese resistance.
Key Archival Techniques
Repurposing Propaganda
- Clips from U.S. and Belgian broadcasts are reframed to expose their biases.
- Similar to Santiago Álvarez’s Now! (1965), which weaponized found footage against imperialist narratives.
Montage as a Political Tool
- Footage of Lumumba’s speeches is layered over images of modern extractivism (e.g., Congolese mines fueling today’s tech industry).
- This montage technique forces viewers to see colonialism’s enduring economic impact and the ways in which history exists in the past and in the present
Comparison: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)
This Swedish documentary also reclaims archival footage, offering a fresh lens on the Black Power movement through the voices of the contemporary Black thought leaders who narrate it. Like Soundtrack to a Coup d’État, it demonstrates that who controls the archive controls history.
IV. Cinema as a Form of Resistance: A Case for Film as Activism
Can a film be more than a film?
Grimonprez’s film suggests that cinema itself can be a political act—a way to stage resistance, rewrite history, and expose hidden truths. But how does this compare to other films that have directly influenced political movements?
The Battle of Algiers (1966) – A Blueprint for Revolution
Gillo Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers (1966) is one of the most famous political films ever made. A raw and visceral depiction of the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962), it reconstructs the urban guerrilla tactics used by the National Liberation Front (FLN) against French colonial forces. Shot in a neorealist style, the film was so authentic that it was mistaken for a documentary upon release. This film became a tactical guide for both revolutionaries and military forces, screened by groups like the Black Panthers and studied by the Pentagon for counterinsurgency strategies. Its unflinching portrayal of colonial oppression ignited global anti-imperialist movements, reinforcing the urgency of decolonization. The Battle of Algiers remains a call to action, proving that resistance against occupation is a continuous struggle.
Lumumba (2000) – Reclaiming a Stolen Legacy
Raoul Peck’s Lumumba (2000) is a biographical drama that reconstructs the rise and assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Unlike traditional Western narratives that obscure or vilify African leaders, Peck presents Lumumba as a visionary who fought against colonial exploitation. The film has become an educational tool, sparking discussions on neo-colonialism and the consequences of foreign intervention in Africa. Lumumba serves as both a historical corrective and an inspiration for future generations fighting for self-determination.
13th (2016) – The Prison-Industrial Complex Unmasked
Ava DuVernay’s 13th (2016) is a documentary that exposes the deep links between slavery, systemic racism, and mass incarceration in the United States. Named after the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery “except as punishment for a crime,” the film traces how racial oppression has evolved into a system of modern-day slavery through the prison-industrial complex. Following its release, major universities incorporated 13th into their curricula, using it to educate students on the intersection of race, law, and economic exploitation.
Like The Battle of Algiers, Lumumba, and 13th, Grimonprez’s Soundtrack to a Coup d’État does more than narrate history—it forces audiences to confront the mechanisms of oppression that persist today. By exposing the political machinations behind cultural diplomacy, covert operations, and Cold War propaganda, the film reveals how art and media have been used both as tools of resistance and as instruments of control. It challenges us not just to observe history but to actively interrogate the stories we inherit, encouraging new ways of thinking about colonialism, power, and artistic intervention in the fight for justice.
Conclusion: The Power of the Cinematic Coup
If political coups aim to control power by rewriting the future, Soundtrack to a Coup d’État performs a cinematic coup of its own—by rewriting the past.
By rejecting linear storytelling, remixing archival footage, and using jazz as a political language, the film forces audiences to confront the instability of historical truth. It suggests that history is not something we inherit—it is something we remix, reclaim, and redefine, just like an improvisational jazz piece.
About the Filmmaker
Johan Grimonprez is a Belgian filmmaker and artist known for his genre-blurring documentaries that dissect media, politics, and history. His films, including dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y, Double Take, and Shadow World, have won awards at Berlinale, Tribeca, and Sundance. His latest work, Soundtrack to a Coup d’État (2024), explores Cold War politics and cultural diplomacy through jazz. With his signature archival remixing, Grimonprez challenges dominant narratives, revealing the intersections of propaganda, resistance, and collective memory.
Contributer
A cultural consultant and writer, Maqhawe Junior Madonsela explores the intersections of media, history, and pedagogy. Their work spans film, education, and cultural strategy, crafting narratives that challenge dominant histories and amplify resistance. Whether designing curricula or dissecting archival footage, they blend research with lived experience to illuminate untold stories.
References
- Books & Articles
- Grimonprez, J. (2024). Soundtrack to a Coup d’État [Film]. Johan Grimonprez.
- Oppenheimer, J. (2012). The Act of Killing [Film]. Final Cut for Real.
- Pontecorvo, G. (1966). The Battle of Algiers [Film]. Igor Film.
- Peck, R. (2000). Lumumba [Film]. JBA Production.
- DuVernay, A. (2016). 13th [Film]. Netflix.
- Santiago Álvarez, (1965). Now! [Film]. ICAIC.
- Olsson, G. (2011). The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 [Film]. Story AB.
- Web Sources
- IMDb (2024). The Act of Killing (2012). Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2375605/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- IMDb (2024). Soundtrack to War (2005). Available at: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0486541/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- IMDb (2024). The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011). Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592527/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- Criterion (2024). The Battle of Algiers (1966). Available at: https://www.criterion.com/films/250-the-battle-of-algiers [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- European Film Academy (2024). Soundtrack to a Coup d’État. Available at: https://www.europeanfilmacademy.org/soundtrack-to-a-coup-detat/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- Getty Images (2024). Jazz & Protest Imagery. Available at: https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/jazz-protest [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- Alamy Stock Photos (2024). Patrice Lumumba Archives. Available at: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/patrice-lumumba.html [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- Variety (2024). Soundtrack to a Coup d’État Review. Available at: https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/soundtrack-to-a-coup-detat-review-1235937901/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- The Guardian (2024). Coups, Colonialism, and All That Jazz: New Film Unravels Cold War Truths. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/nov/13/coups-colonialism-and-all-that-jazz-new-film-unravels-cold-war-truths-johan-grimonprez-soundtrack-to-a-coup-detat [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].
- Hollywood Reporter (2024). Johan Grimonprez’s Soundtrack to a Coup d’État Documentary at San Sebastian. Available at: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/johan-grimonprez-soundtrack-to-a-coup-detat-documentary-san-sebastian-1236013223/ [Accessed 30 Jan. 2025].