The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was filled with memorable moments, from the lighting of the cauldron to Celine Dion taking the stage.
But one performance drew mixed reactions.
The four-hour ceremony marked the start of the Summer Games on July 26, with athletes gliding down the Seine and performers reenacting international historical moments.
In one controversial tableau, drag queens and dancers lined up around a long table in an image that some said resembled Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles, “The Last Supper.”
After the scene, some called the image a “mockery” and “insulting to Christians.” Others felt the moment was a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and inclusion.
On July 28, Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized “if people were offended.”
“There was clearly never any intention to disrespect any religious group. On the contrary, I think (artistic director) Thomas Jolly really tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Descamps said at a news conference. “We believe that ambition was achieved. If people were offended, we are truly sorry.”
French actor Philippe Katerine, whose largely naked body was painted shimmering blue to represent a Greek god at the opening ceremony, told Le Parisien newspaper he was “proud of his performance”.
“Nudity is really the origin of the Games,” he reminded the publication, in French. He then added that he was “very happy” to participate in the ceremony.
Why some people associate a scene from the Olympic opening ceremony with ‘The Last Supper’
In one scene from the opening ceremony, a serving tray is lifted to show a nearly naked Katerine singing in French. In the background, dancers and drag queens pose around a long table.
As the camera panned across the table, it first showed a person wearing a halo in front of DJ decks. The next shot showed the rest of the table, lined with performers posing.
The table then transformed into a podium, as drag queens and models took to the stage in homage to the Parisian fashion scene.
The official Olympics X account shared photos of the moment and made reference to Dionysus, the Greek god of winemaking, fertility and ecstasy.
“The interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings,” read a tweet captioning the photos.
But some have linked the painting to the biblical scene depicted by Leonardo da Vinci in “The Last Supper,” when Jesus Christ and his apostles shared a final meal before crucifixion.
Asked about the backlash on July 27, the ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, said at a press conference that he had no intention of “being subversive,” “making fun” or “shock.”
“We wanted to include everyone, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “In France, we have freedom of creation, artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country. I didn’t have any particular messages to convey. In France, we are a republic, we have the right to love who we want, we have the right not to be faithful, we have a lot of rights in France, and that’s what I wanted to convey.”
Speaking on French news channel BFM-TV on Sunday, Jolly confirmed that “The Last Supper” was “not my inspiration.”
“There’s Dionysus coming to this table. He’s there because he’s the god of celebration in Greek mythology,” Jolly said. “The idea was to have a pagan celebration tied to the Olympian gods. You’ll never find in me the desire to mock or denigrate anyone.”
Reactions to the performance at the Olympic opening ceremony
Some supported the artistic vision, saying the painting was fighting to convey a message about inclusivity.
“We know that in the LGBTQ community in France, we are far from what the ceremony showed. There is a lot of progress to be made in society regarding transgender people. It is terrible that in order to legally change their identity, they are forced to go to trial,” said James Leperlier, president of Inter-LGBT in France, according to AP.
Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien, Katerine said in French that the whole ceremony was “moving” and “grandiose”.
“I’m proud of it because it’s my culture. We are full of different people and everyone lives in their own way and most importantly has the right to do so. I loved doing it,” he said. Katerine added that he hoped to convey the following message: “If we are naked, there is no war because there are no weapons.”
Filip, who won the third season of “Drag Race France” this year, told AP they were “impressed.”
“I thought it was going to be a five-minute drag event with queer representation. I was blown away. It started with Lady Gaga, then we had drag queens, a huge rave and fire in the sky. It was like a coronation all over again. I’m proud to see my friends and queer people on the world stage,” Le Filip said.
Others, including American politicians and leaders of the Catholic Church, expressed outrage at the scene.
House Speaker Mike Johnson shared an image of the scene on July 27 on X and called the painting “shocking” and “insulting.”
“Last night’s mockery of the Last Supper was shocking and insulting to Christians around the world who watched the Olympic opening ceremony,” he said in a tweet.
Catholic leaders in France called the scene a “mockery of Christianity” in a statement, Reuters reported.
“This ceremony unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore,” the French Bishops’ Conference said in a statement.
Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs forward who gave a controversial graduation speech addressing birth control, COVID-19 restrictions, the role of women and more earlier this year, quoted the Bible on X after the ceremony.
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. He who sows to his flesh will of the flesh also reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap eternal life,” he wrote, quoting “Galatians 6:7-8.”