The Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony was shown live from 1:30pm -5:30pm and again from 7:30pm to 11:30pm on NBC. The Opening ceremony was different from past opening ceremonies of the past because it was not held in a fixed stadium.
The Opening Ceremony was designed/directed by Thomas Jolly. Jolly had a 150 million dollar budget and will be in charge of the Olympics closing ceremony plus both Paralympic ceremonies as well.
The Opening Ceremony started out with a video of the torch being passed to a French soccer star Zinedine Zidane in the Stade d France - site of track and field to a French soccer star and then this star took the train and was followed by some kids who took the torch to a boat where an unknown French person took the torch down the Seine. This unknown person was seen climbing the roofs of Paris buildings.
The parade of nations were on boats sailing down a 3.7 mile trek of the Seine. Some of the countries athletes count are as follows.. Brazil -235, Canada -331, China - 400, Germany - 463, Great Britain - 352, Japan - 435, Italy 399, Spain - 404, Israel - 88, Ireland - 142, India - 115, Netherlands - 294, Poland - 228, Sweden - 126, Switzerland - 135, Australia - 484, Ukraine - 140, USA - 594 and France - 571.
There was lots of French singing and dancing, Performances by Lady Gaga, French Heavy Metal Band Gojira, Aya Nakamura, Axelle Saint Cirel and Celine Dion. The Piano piece was performed by Alexandre Kantorow.
Imagine by John Lennon an Olympic Opening Ceremony staple was sung by French Singer Juliette Armanet.
French themes of the opening ceremony were Enchanted, Synchronicity - which showed rebuilding of fire damaged Notre Dame Cathedral, Liberty, Equality, Sport, Festivity- Fashion Show.. and where there was a controversial last supper scene which supposedly mocked Christianity. Fraternity, Solidarity, Eternity.
Next, a mechanical horse was moving through the Seine being ridden by an unknown French person going in the direction of the Trocadero stadium. followed by 205 flag bearers, the Olympic hymn was sung and the Olympic flag raised. The head of Paris 2024 Tony Estanguet spoke followed by IOC President Bach. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the games open.
French soccer star Zinedine Zidane passed the torch to Rafael Nadal of Spain, The flame started out in a boat going away from the Olympic stadium. The boat had torch bearers from the USA and around the world Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci, and in succession, the torch was handed off to 24 French athletes, including Amelie,Mauresmo, a French tennis champion and Tony Parker San Antonio Spurs Pro Basketball player, as they all jogged together through parts of Paris until they finally handed the torch off to the two final French torchbearers, Maria Jose-Perec, French Track athlete and Teddy Riner, a French Judo athlete, who lit the torch which was a hot air balloon, which, when lit, rose above the ground fully lit. Celine Dion performed Hymne a l' amour. (the Hymn to love) That Concluded the ceremony part of NBC's coverage.
My take: This opening ceremony while different and for the most part good did not have the high tech wow factor, except for the excellent laser light show at the Eiffel tower. While part of French culture, a torch of a hot air balloon is not creative, high tech, sleek and long lasting. Unless they save this balloon for decades, there will be no visible torch after the games are concluded. The Paris organizers tried to make the games so sustainable that they used cardboard beds for the athletes in the athletes village and did not provide air conditioning for the athletes. Several countries, including the USA brought their own air conditioners. A self sustaining games are great but not at the expense of the athletes and in the memories of the games itself. All the residents of Paris will have of the memory of the torch are photos of a hot air balloon. Temporary stadiums are one thing but completely re-using every games artifact can subtract from the memories of the game. Would all of you visit a sleek torch or a hot air balloon?
No comments:
Post a Comment