Organizers deny Last Supper parody at Paris Games

PARIS:

Opening ceremony choreographer Thomas Joly denied on Sunday that he parodied the Last Supper at the start of the Paris Games after religious groups decried what they felt was a “mockery of Christianity”. However, Games organizers apologized, saying there was “no intention to show disrespect to any religious group”.

Organizers of the Paris Olympics said on Sunday they were “truly sorry” for any offense caused by the bold and quirky opening ceremony, but denied “any intention to show disrespect to any religious group”.

Some Catholic groups and French bishops condemned what they saw as “scenes of mockery and mockery of Christianity” at Friday’s parade choreographed by theater director Thomas Joly. Criticism has focused on a scene featuring dancers, drag queens and a DJ in poses reminiscent of depictions of the Last Supper, the last meal Jesus is said to have had with his apostles.

“Clearly there was never any intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps told reporters on Sunday. “If people have been offended, we are of course really, really sorry,” he added.

Jolly also denied being inspired by The Last Supper in his nearly four-hour production that took place in the rain along the Seine River. The scene, which was meant to promote tolerance of different sexual and gender identities, also featured French actor Philippe Katerine appearing nearly naked and painted blue as Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and pleasure.

“The idea was to have a big pagan party connected to the gods of Olympus,” Jolie told BFM on Sunday. “You will never find in my work any desire to mock or belittle anyone. I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our republican values ​​of liberty, equality and fraternity,” he added. .

In one of the ceremony’s other striking moments, a woman holding a bloody severed head intended to execute French Queen Marie-Antoinette appeared at a window of the Conciergerie, a building where she was imprisoned after the French Revolution of 1789. She was later guillotined together with her husband Louis XVI.

“We certainly did not glorify this instrument of death that is the guillotine,” Jolie added.

Descamps said Paris 2024 had commissioned a poll from research group Harris that showed the French were overwhelmingly positive about the opening ceremony.

US broadcaster NBC said the procession was the most-watched start to an Olympic Games since London 2012, while German broadcaster ARD said it was the most watched in 20 years, according to an International Olympic Committee spokesman. Mark Adams.

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