Musical documentary
Director: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Cast: B.B. King, Muhammad Ali, James Brown, et al.
Music is also a struggle! That could be the motto for this African festival in the capital of Zaire – Kinshasa. On the occasion of the bout between boxing legend Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, the greatest stars of Afro-American funk – James Brown, BB King and Celia Cruz – also joined forces and in 1974 gave three evening concerts. The euphoria of the local public turned the festival into a kind of protest against Mobutu's despotic regime and made it one of the most revolutionary musical events of the 20th century. The material from 1974 had lain untouched for decades until the director used it to create an electrifying and explosive montage of sound and images. "I'm black and I'm proud!" sings James Brown before leaving the stage.
