What It’s About:
As the Cold War rages in 1960, the CIA implements one of its most notorious covert missions: to assassinate the democratically elected President of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba. The goal: to solidify U.S control there just as the colonialist Dutch depart, and secure valuable mineral rights for their advanced weapons. To provide cover, the government sends their finest jazz musicians on a good-will tour of the continent, including Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, who share Lumumba’s skin color and know the harsh truth about freedom in America.
Why We Love It:
Revisiting a dark, too easily forgotten chapter in the American experiment, Dutch filmmaker Grimonprez fashions a trippy, almost kaleidoscopic film that’s light miles away from your typical, just the facts documentary. Mixing rich archival footage with jazz performance, jumping between various related events and timelines, you need to pay close attention to track what’s going on, but this intriguing, inventive doc makes you want to. The idealized vision of America as a beacon of democracy takes a well-earned beating, and the shameless exploitation of the American born, black-fueled music known as jazz makes the whole episode even seamier. Immerse yourself in this fascinating slice of history.