44/36
Jazz and decolonization are intertwined in this historical rollercoaster that rewrites the Cold War episode that led musicians Abby Lincoln and Max Roach to collapse in the UN Security Council to protest the assassination of Patrice Lumumba. I saw it in the movie in 2024. I understand the main goals and importance of what the documentary is trying to explore and say. While there are some wonderful presentations with graphic design, interviews and images, the 2 hour and 30 minute running time feels unreasonable and the documentary structure feels confusing. Many of the topics and themes explored are interesting, which are interesting themes of jazz, decolonization and interstate conflict. I liked some of the musical sound choices and some of the discussions explored. However, I couldn’t fully invest in the story because I felt that the director was creating style rather than substance. Some aspects felt under-prepared and a bit lacking, and there was too much emphasis on technical aspects. At 2 hours and 30 minutes, the documentary feels too stretched out to be fully satisfying. Overall, good intentions, but not for me.