Captivating essay film at the intersection of jazz music, geopolitics and colonial power during the Cold War. In the 1960s, many African states fight for their independence from the European colonial powers. While the Soviet Union supported decolonization, the USA and its Western allies were sceptical about it, as they might lose their control over important natural resources. The US responded unconventionally by sending jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone to African states to portray the West in a positive light, while figures such as Malcolm X and other jazz artists showed solidarity with the independence movement.
solidarity with the independence movement.
Director Johan Grimonprez sheds light on this period of decolonization and the Cold War with the help of exciting archive footage, jazz music and historical sources such as the audio diaries of Nikita Khrushchev and the memoirs of Patrice Lumumba's confidante Andrée Blouin. With a focus on the Congo, the documentary culminates in an outcry against the oppressive mechanisms of the Western world.
BEL/FR 2024, Johan Grimonprez, 150 min., FSK n/a, various OmU
Admission 6.50/4.50 euros - Booking via KoKi Hannover
Price information:
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