The crisis within Congo, which was instigated by the United Nations, deserves something more than a bog-standard documentary. It needs something loud and angry. It would be best if you felt like you were in that era and were as furious about the fact that outside forces bragged about their racist assassinations. Reading about history like this is not enough. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat does everything in its power to make this moment alive instead of sorted into a compartmentalized series of citations. A greater narrative takes shape from archival footage, playing like an inspiring evening of plowing through historical headlines and archival footage while music of the era blares in the background. It’s the type of documentary that kicks you awake with little more than the vigor of its direction.

At the center of this conflict is the assassination of Congo President Patrice Lumumba. His death can be attributed to the actions of UN, leading a rather violent protest with noted music talents Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach leading the charge. It’s hard not to wake up to the atrocities when the protestors are so furious that stilettos turn into weapons. As the film progresses, that anger becomes more than understandable, reverberating with more encouraging rebellion than the shock of the dumb-struck diplomats. The Republic of Congo had fought for decolonization and found an ally in the Soviets of the 1960s. But with so many resources Belgium relied on for its taking of the Congo (namely uranium), the greed of King Baudouin gained him an alliance with America to wage an all-out war on destabilizing the Republic.

America attempts a charm offensive by utilizing jazz talents, but these musicians are all black and well aware of the history of the bigotry they face at home. Politics became something unavoidable for Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Melba Liston. They had been dehumanized and weaponized to be used as tools for bigotry to spread far and wide. Centrists might’ve preferred these talents keep their mouths shut when not singing, but it’s impossible to avoid when the best music as genuine as the most furious of speeches for justice. You can’t stay quiet on matters like this, where it’s more damaging to not say something. What happened in the Republic of Congo was wrong and it deserved every bit of fiery criticism for how the UN, Belgium, and America continued the vile tradition of colonialism.

It’s amazing how this film assembles its engrossing true story with little more than the same tools a first-year film student might have but with all the expertise of an aged visionary. It plays less like a dry recount and more like a music video of overlaying interviews, archival footage, jazz songs, and typographic headlines. There’s a lyrical nature to how the energy keeps pace with the mounting anxiety of how brutalized Congo became on cultural and visceral level. The charm offensive from the outside world might’ve been intricate, but you don’t need much convincing with on-camera footage of outright racist mercenaries admitting to their violent acts of destabilization. That alone might be enough to boil your blood in an instant, but this film makes sure the political rage is white hot throughout. There is not a moment where you don’t feel as though you’re blazing through a storm of articles and footage, coming closer to getting that exact experience of being just as outraged as the people who stormed the United Nations.

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat hits loud enough and hard enough to get jazzed about a vicious moment in decolonization history. History shouldn’t be a by-the-book listing of facts, but carry enough humanity to recognize as something more than a warning of repetition. Yes, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat, but those who don’t feel history are doomed to feel nothing when it does repeat. You don’t need an expensive reenactment or lots of glossy VFX to make that point come through, and this film makes the most of its material to inspire nothing less than skepticism and contempt for governments who seek to take away culture. Don’t let them. Be as loud and aggressive as the protestors and as inspiring as this film turned out to be.