The Belgian documentary “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” was rewarded at the 40th IDA Documentary Awards ceremony.
The Belgian documentary “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” by Johan Grimonprez won three prizes at the 40th IDA Documentary Awards ceremony, which was held Thursday in Los Angeles, said the Audiovisual Fund of Flanders.
The film was rewarded in the “best editing” and “best screenplay” categories at this prestigious event dedicated to the documentary genre. Johan Grimonprez’s work also won the “ABC News VideoSource” prize, which rewards “a feature-length documentary that uses news footage as an integral part of the narrative.”
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” addresses the post-colonial context of Congo’s independence in 1960 and sheds light behind the scenes of the death of Congo’s Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, assassinated with Western complicity. The film uses extensive archive footage and historical speeches. The soundtrack gives pride of place to jazz music while several legends such as Louis Armstrong or Nina Simone were used at the time to create a diversion.
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The story is told from the point of view of Andrée Blouin, a forgotten pioneer of the emancipation and independence of women in Africa. This activist was Lumumba’s collaborator when he was Prime Minister of Congo. Johan Grimonprez has already won awards at the Sundance and Docville festivals. His film is also nominated for the European Film Awards, the award ceremony of which will take place on Saturday in Lucerne, Switzerland.
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