Recap
Director Johan Grimonprez’s documentary, crafted entirely from archival recordings, traces the turbulent seven-month period from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s independence to the assassination of its first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba. Grimonprez weaves the pivotal moments of Congo’s struggle for independence together with the songs, performances, and lyrics of legendary musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, and Dizzy Gillespie, rewriting history with a singular rhythm.
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Director
Johan Grimonprez
Born in 1962 in Roeselare, Belgium, he currently lives and works in Ghent and New York. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, the School of Visual Arts in New York, the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, and the Van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. Since the mid-1980s, he has received numerous international grants and awards, and has been offered teaching positions in Paris and New York. His Dutch, English, Russian, French, Arabic; Turkish captioned, English subtitled Johan Grimonprez notable films include Kobarweng, or Where is Your Helicopter? (1992), Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y (1997, with Don DeLillo), and Lost Nation (1999), all presented at international festivals, galleries, and museums, winning multiple awards. His works have been screened at festivals such as Berlinale, Sundance, and Tribeca, and are held
in collections including Centre Georges Pompidou, Tate Modern, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa.
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