Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Updated: 12/11/2025, 5:48:30 PM Wikipedia source
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat is a 2024 documentary film directed by Johan Grimonprez about the Cold War episode that led American musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach to crash the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. It features excerpts from My Country, Africa by Andrée Blouin; Congo Inc. by In Koli Jean Bofane; To Katanga and Back by Conor Cruise O'Brien; and audio memoirs by Nikita Khrushchev. The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on 22 January. It won the André Cavens Award for Best Film from the Belgian Film Critics Association. At the 97th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film. The film has also won Best Art Film at the Rose d'Or awards in 2025. Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat has been featured in multiple lists of Best of 2024 and 2025 and was considered the third best documentary of all time by Harper's Bazaar.
Infobox
Directed by
Johan Grimonprez
Written by
Johan Grimonprez
Produced by
Daan MiliusRémi Grellety
Narrated by
In Koli Jean Bofane Zap Mama Patrick Cruise O'Brien
Cinematography
Jonathan Wannyn
Edited by
Rik Chaubet
Productioncompanies
Onomatopee FilmsWarboys FilmsZap-O-MatikBaldr FilmZKM CenterRTBFVRT
Release date
mw- 22 January 2024 (2024-01-22) (Sundance)
Running time
150 minutes
Countries
BelgiumFranceNetherlands
Languages
FrenchEnglishRussian
Box office
$434,267
Tables
· Release and reception › Accolades
Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
Award
Sundance Film Festival
Date of ceremony
28 January 2024
Category
World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize
Recipient(s)
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Result
Nominated
Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation
Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation
Award
Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation
Date of ceremony
Won
DocVille
DocVille
Award
DocVille
Date of ceremony
20 March 2024
Category
Best Belgian Documentary
Recipient(s)
Won
Movies That Matter
Movies That Matter
Award
Movies That Matter
Date of ceremony
22 March 2024
Category
Special Mention Grand Jury Documentary Award
Recipient(s)
Won
Sofia International Film Festival
Sofia International Film Festival
Award
Sofia International Film Festival
Date of ceremony
31 March 2024
Category
Grand Prix – International Documentary Competition
Recipient(s)
Won
San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
Award
San Francisco International Film Festival
Date of ceremony
28 April 2024
Category
Persistence of Vision
Recipient(s)
Won
Bergen International Film Festival
Bergen International Film Festival
Award
Bergen International Film Festival
Date of ceremony
16 October 2024
Category
Documentary Extraordinaire (Best documentary)
Recipient(s)
Won
El Gouna
El Gouna
Award
El Gouna
Date of ceremony
27 October 2024
Category
Silver Star for Documentary Film
Recipient(s)
Won
Montclair Film Festival
Montclair Film Festival
Award
Montclair Film Festival
Date of ceremony
28 October 2024
Category
Bruce Sinofsky Award for the Documentary Feature Competition
Recipient(s)
Won
Thessaloniki Film Festival
Thessaloniki Film Festival
Award
Thessaloniki Film Festival
Date of ceremony
10 November 2024
Category
Golden Alexander
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Audience Award
Audience Award
Award
Audience Award
Date of ceremony
Won
Mirage Film Festival
Mirage Film Festival
Award
Mirage Film Festival
Date of ceremony
3 November
Category
Best Editing
Recipient(s)
Rik Chaubet
Result
Won
Gotham Awards
Gotham Awards
Award
Gotham Awards
Date of ceremony
2 December 2024
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Recipient(s)
Johan Grimonprez, Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius
Result
Nominated
International Documentary Association Awards
International Documentary Association Awards
Award
International Documentary Association Awards
Date of ceremony
5 December 2024
Category
Best Feature Documentary
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Date of ceremony
Johan Grimonprez
Category
Nominated
Best Writing
Best Writing
Award
Best Writing
Date of ceremony
Won
ABC News Videosource Award
ABC News Videosource Award
Award
ABC News Videosource Award
Date of ceremony
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Category
Won
Best Editing
Best Editing
Award
Best Editing
Date of ceremony
Rik Chaubet
Category
Won
European Film Awards
European Film Awards
Award
European Film Awards
Date of ceremony
7 December 2024
Category
European Film
Recipient(s)
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Result
Shortlisted
European Documentary
European Documentary
Award
European Documentary
Date of ceremony
Nominated
Toronto Film Critics Association
Toronto Film Critics Association
Award
Toronto Film Critics Association
Date of ceremony
15 December 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Recipient(s)
Runner-up
Belgian Film Critics Association
Belgian Film Critics Association
Award
Belgian Film Critics Association
Date of ceremony
19 December 2024
Category
Best Film
Recipient(s)
Won
Florida Film Critics Circle
Florida Film Critics Circle
Award
Florida Film Critics Circle
Date of ceremony
20 December 2024
Category
Best Documentary Film
Recipient(s)
Won
Cinema Eye Honors
Cinema Eye Honors
Award
Cinema Eye Honors
Date of ceremony
9 January 2025
Category
Outstanding Non-Fiction Feature
Recipient(s)
Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety, Jonathan Wannyn, Rik Chaubet, Ranko Pauković and Alek Bunic Goosse
Result
Nominated
Outstanding Editing
Outstanding Editing
Award
Outstanding Editing
Date of ceremony
Rik Chaubet
Category
Won
Outstanding Sound Design
Outstanding Sound Design
Award
Outstanding Sound Design
Date of ceremony
Ranko Pauković and Alek Bunic Goosse
Category
Won
Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
Award
Directors Guild of America Awards
Date of ceremony
8 February 2025
Category
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries
Recipient(s)
Johan Grimonprez
Result
Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
Award
Independent Spirit Awards
Date of ceremony
22 February 2025
Category
Best Documentary Feature
Recipient(s)
Johan Grimonprez, Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius
Result
Nominated
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Date of ceremony
2 March 2025
Category
Best Documentary Feature Film
Recipient(s)
Johan Grimonprez, Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius
Result
Nominated
Rose d'Or Awards
Rose d'Or Awards
Award
Rose d'Or Awards
Date of ceremony
1 December 2025
Category
Best Art Film
Recipient(s)
Onomatopee Films & Warboys Films, Mediawan, VRT Canvas
Result
Won
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Sundance Film Festival | 28 January 2024 | World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize | Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat | Nominated | |
| Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation | Won | ||||
| DocVille | 20 March 2024 | Best Belgian Documentary | Won | ||
| Movies That Matter | 22 March 2024 | Special Mention Grand Jury Documentary Award | Won | ||
| Sofia International Film Festival | 31 March 2024 | Grand Prix – International Documentary Competition | Won | ||
| San Francisco International Film Festival | 28 April 2024 | Persistence of Vision | Won | ||
| Bergen International Film Festival | 16 October 2024 | Documentary Extraordinaire (Best documentary) | Won | ||
| El Gouna | 27 October 2024 | Silver Star for Documentary Film | Won | ||
| Montclair Film Festival | 28 October 2024 | Bruce Sinofsky Award for the Documentary Feature Competition | Won | ||
| Thessaloniki Film Festival | 10 November 2024 | Golden Alexander | Nominated | ||
| Audience Award | Won | ||||
| Mirage Film Festival | 3 November | Best Editing | Rik Chaubet | Won | |
| Gotham Awards | 2 December 2024 | Best Documentary Feature | Johan Grimonprez, Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius | Nominated | |
| International Documentary Association Awards | 5 December 2024 | Best Feature Documentary | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Johan Grimonprez | Nominated | |||
| Best Writing | Won | ||||
| ABC News Videosource Award | Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Rik Chaubet | Won | |||
| European Film Awards | 7 December 2024 | European Film | Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat | Shortlisted | |
| European Documentary | Nominated | ||||
| Toronto Film Critics Association | 15 December 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Runner-up | ||
| Belgian Film Critics Association | 19 December 2024 | Best Film | Won | ||
| Florida Film Critics Circle | 20 December 2024 | Best Documentary Film | Won | ||
| Cinema Eye Honors | 9 January 2025 | Outstanding Non-Fiction Feature | Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety, Jonathan Wannyn, Rik Chaubet, Ranko Pauković and Alek Bunic Goosse | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Editing | Rik Chaubet | Won | |||
| Outstanding Sound Design | Ranko Pauković and Alek Bunic Goosse | Won | |||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | 8 February 2025 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries | Johan Grimonprez | Nominated | |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 22 February 2025 | Best Documentary Feature | Johan Grimonprez, Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius | Nominated | |
| Academy Awards | 2 March 2025 | Best Documentary Feature Film | Johan Grimonprez, Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius | Nominated | |
| Rose d'Or Awards | 1 December 2025 | Best Art Film | Onomatopee Films & Warboys Films, Mediawan, VRT Canvas | Won |
References
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- Box Office Mojohttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl108888065/weekend/
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- www.brusselstimes.comhttps://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium-news/1407474/soundtrack-to-a-coup-detat-nominated-for-an-oscar-tbtb
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- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/30/movies/best-movies-2024.html
- "'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat' Review: Innovative Doc Draws a Connection Between Jazz Music and the Assassination of Patrice Lumumba"https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/soundtrack-to-a-coup-detat-review-1235937901/
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