‘Unique’ and ‘amazing’: Paris Olympics opening ceremony dazzles spectators

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00Yes, clearly, I was there yesterday and there are two words that are coming back, unique

00:05and amazing.

00:06It was unique by its character because it was a ceremony within the city, on the river,

00:12first time ever.

00:13And it was amazing by the show that France presented, actually, Thomas Joly, the director

00:20of the ceremony, he decided to show all aspects of France from his story with Marie Antoinette,

00:28the queen who was beheaded, to today's France with its diversity and the LGBT scene.

00:35So we had the wall of France in one ceremony, open to the world and addressing the world.

00:41And it ended with that emotional performance from Céline Dion.

00:44There was a lot of speculation about who was likely to appear.

00:48Were there any real surprises for you or did you have any particular highlights?

00:52Well, it was not a surprise because everybody expected Céline Dion to conclude the show

00:58and to conclude it with the hymn of love from Edith Piaf.

01:01But the fact that she was there at the Eiffel Tower, which was, by the way, the real queen

01:07of the ceremony, imagine this ceremony without the Eiffel Tower.

01:11You couldn't think of it.

01:13It was around for the Eiffel Tower.

01:15She was the grand lady of the ceremony.

01:18And Céline Dion, by singing on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, paid tribute to

01:24Paris, paid tribute to the Eiffel Tower.

01:26But we had also Lady Gaga singing a song from Zizi Jean-Maire, Mon Truc en Plume, which

01:31is typical cabaret Paris.

01:34And we had also Aya Nakamura.

01:36And the very good idea was to mix Aya Nakamura with the Republican Guard, you know, the orchestra

01:43from the Republican Guard.

01:44And you could see those guys, those military soldiers, singing and dancing with Aya Nakamura,

01:50who concluded her own show by saluting the troops.

01:53And that is something.

01:55Yeah, as you kind of pointed out, it included a lot of history and tradition, but also really

01:59mixed in a more modern, diverse, inclusive vision of France.

02:03What do you think the ceremony as a whole kind of says about how France currently sees

02:07itself in its own identity?

02:09Well, that's a personal opinion, but I do think that the director wanted to show France,

02:16which is proud of itself, proud of its republic, proud of its diversity, and not shy about

02:24some of the excesses, for example, the LGBT scene that I was describing.

02:30Some people, some viewers around the world, one billion viewers, may have been shocked.

02:35But this is France.

02:36The same from the face of Queen Marie Antoinette, who was beheaded, shown by the conciergerie,

02:42which was the jail where she spent the last days of her life.

02:45It could provoke, it could be seen by part of the world as provocative.

02:50But this is the French history as well.

02:52And we had this guy, the guy that we show now, the guy with a mask who was going through

02:57the roof of Paris with the torch until the moment he gave it to Zinedine Zidane.

03:03Was he Arsène Lupin?

03:04Was he the Iron Mask?

03:06We will never know.

03:07It's part of France's mystery and Paris's mystery.

03:10Yeah, I was thinking maybe he could even represent Daft Punk.

03:13That's correct.

03:14Are there any negative reactions that you've been hearing, maybe from within France or

03:18from abroad?

03:21Well, no negative reactions so far.

03:23Nothing that I could read which was very negative, except in France from the extreme right, ultra

03:30conservative kind part of the population and part of the media, which found some part of

03:36the show a bit too provocative.

03:38I'm thinking especially of this part when singer Philippe Catrin came up out nearly

03:44naked in blue playing the god Dionysus.

03:48That was probably the part that hinted some provocation.

03:52But otherwise, everybody applauded.

03:55Everybody applauded because this is the type of risk that the French love to take.

04:00They risk their reputation on a grand show, on a grand ambition, a grand ideas.

04:07This is typical France.

04:09Sometime rather than having a normal ceremony, something rational, they prefer something

04:14completely crazy.

04:16And that craziness match the Republic and match the world.

04:20And just finally, there has been a lot of grumbling ahead of the ceremony here in France

04:23about security restrictions, transportation disruptions.

04:26It also comes in the middle of a very fraught political time.

04:30Do you think that the opening ceremony in the Olympics itself is going to sort of succeed

04:34in lifting the national mood?

04:36Well, it may in terms of the frustration before the ceremony by the Parisian, by the restaurants,

04:43by the cafe.

04:44I think it will still be there, though the ceremony was a success and it is seen as a

04:49success around the world.

04:51Still, they have lost to face financial losses due to security measures, I believe.

04:56And everybody understand the need of security, but it was really heavy, believe me, and could

05:01be frustrating.

05:02Now, when it comes to the political situation, I'm sorry to say, but no impact.

05:06I mean, the ceremony was a great show.

05:09It shows that France is part of the world, is an active player in this world, in the

05:13Olympic world, but no impact on the political scene.

05:17The country will remain as fractured, as divided.

05:21And Emmanuel Macron, the president who declared the game open yesterday, still at the moment

05:26very isolated.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended