The Olympics opening ceremony was intended to “trigger a reflection” while using a global audience to promote diversity and freedoms in France, Paris 2024 organisers say.
They were responding to a question in today’s daily games news conference about apparent “offended reactions” to the spectacle from a Catholic and Muslim perspective and those “countries that don’t share inclusivity and sexual freedom”.
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One scene featuring drag artists in the ceremony was being viewed on social media as an interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper that some found offensive, including Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini who branded it insulting and “sleazy”.
“Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians across the world was a really bad start,” he wrote on X.
“We imagined a ceremony to show our values and our principles so we gave a very committed message,” Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said.
“The idea was to really trigger a reflection. We wanted to have a message as strong as possible.”
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Organisers worked with the International Olympic Committee on the topics they wanted to reflect in the show – including promoting LGBTQ+ and women’s rights.
“Naturally we had to take into account the international community,” Mr Estanguet said.
“Having said that – it is a French ceremony for the French games – so we trusted our artistic director.
“We have freedom of expression in France and we wanted to protect it.”
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Paris 2024 artistic director Thomas Jolly was perplexed by the negative reactions to the show that turned bridges into settings for artistic performances.
“Our idea was inclusion,” Mr Jolly said.
“Naturally when we want to include everyone and not exclude anyone questions are raised.
“Our subject was not to be subversive. We never wanted to be subversive.
“We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everybody.
“In France, we have artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country.”
A music set by Barbara Butch – a DJ organisers described as an “LGBT icon” – played in a diversity section of the ceremony.
But several countries where same-sex relations are criminalised – including Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia and Uganda – took part in the floating parade of athletes on Friday.
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Speaking generally, Mr Jolly expanded on the vision for the ceremony’s messaging, saying: “We have the right to love who we want. We have the right not to be worshippers. We have a lot of rights and this is what I wanted to convey.”
