Thomas Jolly, the choreographer of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, denied on Sunday that the event parodied the Last Supper after religious groups criticized what they perceived as a “mockery of Christianity.” The organizers of the Games apologized, emphasizing there was no intention to show disrespect to any religious group.
The opening ceremony, known for its daring and quirky elements, faced backlash from some Catholic groups and French bishops. They condemned a scene involving dancers, drag queens, and a DJ in poses reminiscent of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles.
Anne Descamps, a spokeswoman for Paris 2024, stated, “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. If people have taken any offence, we are of course really, really sorry.”
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Thomas Jolly clarified that his nearly four-hour production, held under rain along the River Seine, did not take inspiration from the Last Supper. Instead, it was meant to promote tolerance of different sexual and gender identities. The scene also featured French actor Philippe Katerine, who appeared nearly naked and painted blue as Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and pleasure.
“The idea was to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus,” Jolly explained. “You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate 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.”
One striking moment of the ceremony featured a woman holding a bloodied severed head, representing executed French queen Marie-Antoinette, who appeared in a window of the Conciergerie, where she was imprisoned after the 1789 French Revolution. She was later guillotined along with her husband, Louis XVI. Jolly assured that the ceremony was not glorifying the guillotine as an instrument of death.
Anne Descamps mentioned that a poll commissioned by Paris 2024 from Harris showed that French people were overwhelmingly positive about the opening ceremony. International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams noted that American broadcaster NBC reported the procession as the most-watched start to an Olympics since London in 2012, and German broadcaster ARD said it was the most-watched in 20 years.
