directed by Johan Grimonprez
150 minutes
in multiple languages with subtitles in English
This documentary tells the story of the Congo's transition from colony of Belgium in the late 1950s to independence in 1960 up to the point where Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was assassinated by mercenaries in 1961. Music of the era, mostly music of African American musicians is woven into the documentary. Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Abbey Lincoln, Melba Liston, Max Roach, are some of the musicians whose work is used to great effect.
There is footage from the Congo, the United Nations, and interviews with many people who were involved on one level or another with the Congo. Some of the interviews are from the 1950s and 1960s, others were done more recently.
Abbey Lincoln was also in Nothing but a Man (1964) which I saw almost exactly a year ago in Mar 2024. Louis Armstrong was also in Paris Blues (1961) which I saw a little over three years ago.
Watching this documentary was an intense experience. It is worth a second watch. There is a lot of information (images, subtitles, source documentation) thrown on the screen simultaneously such that it is impossible to take it all in as it is being presented. This is especially true if you are watching it in a theater, which I was.
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