Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the Opening Ceremony at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has dismissed claims that a section of the show involving drag queens was meant as a send-up of “The Last Supper” painting and Christianity.
Politicians, Elon Musk, Piers Morgan and even Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker were among those venting fury on social media after Friday’s elaborate but rain-lashed spectacular.
The televised section that particularly angered them was titled “Festivity” and featured French singer and actor Philippe Katerine as the god Dionysus, semi-naked and painted blue, on a banquet table.
There was also a degree of backlash within France itself, including from bishops and Catholic groups.
Get off the sidelines and into the game
Theatre director Jolly, the creative visionary behind the Opening Ceremony, appeared on BFMTV’s Sunday morning show and was asked for his response to the critics.
Prominent French politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon had written in a blog post that he “didn’t like the mockery of the Christian Last Supper,” referring to Leonardo da Vinci’s famous 15th-century mural depicting Jesus with the Twelve Apostles.
But referring to the painting, Jolly insisted: “It’s not my inspiration.”
He continued: “There is Dionysus (Philippe Katerine painted in blue) who arrives on this table. He is there because he is the God of celebration in Greek mythology. The god of wine, which is one of the jewels of France.
The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings. #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/FBlQNNUmvV
“He is also the father of the goddess Sequana, who is connected to the river, the Seine.
“The idea was to have a pagan celebration connected to the gods of Olympus.
“You will never find in me a desire to mock and denigrate anyone. I wanted to make a ceremony that repairs, reconciles and reaffirms the values of our Republic — liberty, equality, fraternity.”
The furore was also raised at Sunday morning’s media conference at the Main Press Centre, leading Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps to tell reporters: “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.”
Later on Sunday, the International Olympic Committee issued its own statement via a post on X, welcoming the organizers’ earlier comments.
“They reiterated that their intention… was always to celebrate community and tolerance,” said the IOC.
The IOC has taken note of and welcomes the clarification given by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee regarding the Opening Ceremony. pic.twitter.com/kEB9zyw3Ue
Jolly, who spoke in interviews before the Opening Ceremony about being LGBTQ himself (his boyfriend is also called Thomas), had discussed the representation of diversity and religion in Friday’s show when speaking at an official press conference the next day.
“In France, we have the right to love each other, as we want, with whoever we want,” he said. “In France, we have the right to believe and not to believe. In France, we have many rights.”
