Politics from sixty years ago has rarely been presented with such energy and cinematic dynamism. The film takes place in 1960–1961, when sixteen African nations declared independence, unsettling the world’s superpowers and shaking the proceedings of the United Nations General Assembly.
As part of an effort to improve the image of the United States in Africa, the CIA sends some of the biggest jazz stars to the continent, including Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Nina Simone. Gradually, the musicians begin to realize that they have become instruments of political propaganda for a country where racial segregation is still a reality.
At the heart of the story lies Congo, a strategically important nation rich in natural resources. Its Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, emerges as a symbol of African liberation movements, while one of his closest collaborators is activist and writer Andrée Blouin.
Combining political history with music in an innovative and highly original way, the film captures the spirit of the era and reveals the collision of global politics and artistic engagement. The soundtrack features legendary jazz performers alongside Congolese musicians who also appear on screen.
Among the film’s protagonists are singer Abbey Lincoln and drummer Max Roach, participants in the 1961 protest that disrupted a session of the UN Security Council. International outrage following the assassination of Patrice Lumumba failed to halt the escalation of the conflict and continued foreign interference in Congo.
The turbulent atmosphere of the period is further evoked through iconic images: Nikita Khrushchev banging his shoe during a UN session and Fidel Castro staying at a Harlem hotel.
