History Film Forum presents "Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat"

The History Film Forum at the National Museum of American History presents Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat.

Jazz and geopolitics collide in Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, a new documentary directed by Johan Grimonprez that traces the political machinations behind the 1961 assassination of Congo’s prime minister Patrice Lumumba. Months before Lumumba was killed, jazz great Louis Armstrong was sent on an expansive tour of Africa, organized by the State Department that, unbeknownst to the trumpeter, was using his visit as a cover to get access and information about controversial Cold War operations. Featuring eyewitness accounts, government memos, testimonies from mercenaries and operatives, as well as archival footage of jazz icons, the film delivers the politics of decolonization in jazz form. This Oscar-nominated, Sundance award-winning film interrogates colonial history to tell an urgent story that resonates in today’s geopolitical climate.

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The National Museum of American History welcomes visitors of all ages and abilities. This event is wheelchair accessible. ASL services, captioning, and assistive listening devices will be provided. Additional accommodations are available upon request; please email [email protected]. Two weeks’ notice is preferred.

Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. Seating will be opened first to Eventbrite-registered attendees and then to walk-in visitors. When the event reaches maximum capacity, it will be closed to the public.

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The History Film Forum is supported by the Robert P. and Arlene R. Kogod Family Foundation.

Technology upgrades in the Warner Bros. Theater were generously made possible by the Dolby family and Dolby Laboratories Inc.

Host or Publisher National Museum of American History