Tag: congo

directed by Johan Grimonprez

Let’s be clear here – I’m not a fan of politics in films and I try to avoid such productions. However, this documentary got a nomination to Oscars and I decided to see it. If you’re not into politics, but you’re still interested in quality music and social issues, then this film is definitely worth your time. The documentary focuses on so many elements that it’s difficult to even sum it up in this post, but I’ll try my best. So, the spotlight is on Africa and its political situation in the late 50s/early 60s. African countries were constantly being colonised due to the goods that could be found there. Anyone who was against that practice was pushed away or even eliminated. One of such change leaders was Patrice Lumumba, a Congolese politician and the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The man was assassinated because his actions were “problematic” to the western leaders. The problem of colonisation has always been a complicated topic, yet there’s one thing that almost always works in order to control people – and that’s distraction. As long as you make people focus on something else, you may continue your most cruel actions. And that’s mainly what the documentary addresses, because back then CIA came up with an idea to distract people with good music. They decided to send absolute music legends, who were also African-Americans, in order to befriend Africans and gain their trust. I mean, if the bad guy sends you Louis Armstrong, who seems proud to be representing them, then they can’t be that bad, right? Let’s face it, a group of amazing Black jazz musicians were used like puppets in order to continue the political game, in which the people’s well-being wasn’t even a priority. Also, for those musicians it was quite tactless to represent the US, where the segregation based on the skin colour was being practiced. On the other hand, there were sharing their love for music with the people, who really needed any kind of support. Now you know why I said it’s hard to sum up what the documentary is about, but I really hope that you decide to see it. In my opinion, it’s a well-deserved nomination, although it’s a bit too long. However, considering the amount of information they needed to share, I really forgive them the length. As a person who doesn’t like getting into politics, I found this film very engaging and educational. Plus, I could listen to some wonderful jazz, which was another big advantage. Hope you’ll learn a lot and enjoy it as much as I did.

My rating: 7/10
S.