In a luxurious hotel room on the 16th floor overlooking the heart of Paris and the famous Seine, Thomas Jolly is preparing for the great spectacle that will open the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“I was overwhelmed at first. I wondered how I could create a show in which everyone could feel represented as part of this great association,” admits Jolly, the actor and stage director who was entrusted with the artistic direction of the opening and closing ceremonies two years ago.
“This responsibility was ambitious, complex, but great for an artist.”
More than a billion people are expected to watch the opening ceremony on July 26.
But for 42-year-old Jolly, major projects in France are nothing new: in 2022, he produced a 24-hour Shakespeare tetralogy and revived the popular musical “Starmania.”
He is a three-time winner of the Molière Prize, France's highest theatre award.
He now faces the task of introducing France to the rest of the world in a parade that is expected to last almost four hours.
“France is a history that is constantly being constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed. It is alive and remains alive,” said Jolly.
In his opinion, this dynamic is the reason for the country's reputation as a place of protests and strikes – an expression of France's constant review of its own identity and values.
Behind Jolly, there is a lot of activity: construction workers are working on the banks of the Seine, which are closed to the public, and preparing the backdrop for the upcoming ceremony.
At some point, Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, who is also giving interviews at the hotel, joins Jolly on the balcony, far away from the media hype.
Cigarette in hand, Jolly gestures animatedly toward the Seine as they discuss the final details and Estanguet nods in agreement.
Last year France hosted the Rugby World Cup.
The opening ceremony, conceived by Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin, who played a beret-wearing baker in a depiction of 1950s France, was criticized as being too stereotypical and old-fashioned.
Jolly is aware of the clichés but is determined to play with them and subvert them at the same time, believing that opening ceremonies often tell the story of a country.
“When we look at 'Emily in Paris' or 'Amelie', we know that this is not quite the real Paris. We will play with all these clichés, but also challenge them,” said Jolly, who also directs the Paralympics ceremonies.
“Paris is also a vibrant youth community. Different cultures meet on the streets.”
The opening ceremony will be attended by around 300,000 people, most of whom are invited. The organizers want to celebrate inclusion and diversity.
The original plan was for a completely free ceremony, with millions of people watching the parade from the riverbank.
However, the French government scaled back these ambitions because it feared security risks for a city that had seen serious extremist attacks in 2015.
“An opening ceremony has never taken place outside a stadium. There is no model, it is pure creation,” said Jolly, acknowledging that such a feat comes with challenges.
He envisioned a massive twelve-act ballet with hundreds of dancers stationed on the many bridges over the Seine while boats sailed down the river carrying Olympic athletes to the Eiffel Tower.
Jolly is extremely tight-lipped about what happened at the ceremony.
Rehearsals will take place at secret locations throughout France, but there will be no full rehearsal before the actual date.
The mystery has given rise to a great deal of speculation. The boldest theories include the use of submarines in the Seine and performances by pop stars such as Céline Dion, Lady Gaga and the French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura.
“If I tell you anything, I’ll be fired,” says Jolly with a cheeky laugh.
“All I can tell you is that it will be very meaningful for the artists performing.”