Jazz and decolonisation tangle in this remarkable documentary from Johan Grimonprez.
Innovative and deeply researched, it investigates the incendiary politics of the nascent Democratic Republic of Congo in 1960 in the final months of leader Patrice Lumumba’s life. Drawing imaginative connections between US imperialism, post-war jazz and Pan-African decolonisation, soundtracked by jazz riffs and staccato beats, it’s a bold, invigorating watch that feels like being immersed in a brilliant non-fiction book, dense with ideas and grappling with a complex and fascinating history that speaks to the current moment.
