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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

‘Call My Agent’ writer drafted for Paris Olympics role

The acclaimed writer of French TV series "Call My Agent" has been working on the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics along with best-selling author Leila Slimani, they announced in an interview published on Tuesday.

Published: 16 July 2024 16:34 CEST
'Call My Agent' writer drafted for Paris Olympics role
President of the jury and French screenwriter Fanny Herrero poses during the Cannes International Series Festival (Canneseries) in Cannes, southern France, in 2022. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP)

Fanny Herrero, whose series about a Parisian talent agency has been one of France’s biggest cultural exports of recent years, said she had been invited to develop a plot for the July 26 ceremony on the river Seine.

“My first reflex was that the job was too big and too beautiful for me. I was scared,” Herrero told Le Monde of the invitation from Paris 2024 ceremony director Thomas Jolly.

READ MORE: REVEALED: The French in-jokes from TV series Call My Agent

“Then I said to myself that it was a unique adventure in life,” she added.

The ceremony would celebrate France, its history and its attachment to universal human rights but “we wanted to avoid our natural tendency to lecture people,” Herrero added.

The Paris Games are set to kick off with an unprecedented parade on the Seine that will see 6,000-7,000 athletes sail six kilometres down the river on a flotilla of boats.

Slimani, the Franco-Moroccan author of “Lullaby”, a book about a killer nanny, called it a “huge honour” to be asked to take part having arrived in France as an 18-year-old.

She promised “joy, emulation, movement, excitement and sparkle, and not only those famous philosophical values that France displays sometimes with a bit too much self-assurance.”

Historian and author Patrick Boucheron, another member of the creative team drafted in by Jolly, said the Paris ceremony would be nothing like the spectacular parade seen at the Beijing Olympics.

“The opening ceremony in Beijing in 2008 was exactly what we did not want to do: a history lesson addressed to the world from the host country, an ode to grandeur and a display of power,” he told the newspaper.

The Paris event would “speak of the world to France and of France to the world” while being “the opposite of a virile, heroic story.”

The list of entertainers for the ceremony remains a closely guarded secret but Jolly gave new hints about what to expect from the cast of roughly 3,000 dancers who are set to take part.

“We are not only going to use the banks of the river and bridges, but the sky as well. And the water,” he said. “Who knows, there might be a submarine.”

READ MORE: Think the French aren’t funny? Try these classic films

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PARIS

Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

There are 100 days left before Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will finally open its doors to visitors again. Here is what you need to know about getting tickets in advance, the reopening plans, and the status of the restoration.

Published: 30 August 2024 10:57 CEST
Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

August 30th marks a major milestone in the restoration of Notre-Dame in Paris, with just 100 days – or three intense months of work – remaining for the 500-plus artisans working against the clock to ensure the cathedral is ready in time.

The Cathedral has been closed to the public since it was badly damaged by fire in April 2019.

Since then, Parisians and visitors have been able to see a lot of the progress, as the outside work redefined the city’s skyline, but they have not been able to go inside.

But soon, visitors will be able to re-enter the famous cathedral. Here is what you need to know;

When exactly will the cathedral re-open?

The Cathedral is on track to re-open on time on December 8th – the Festival of the Immaculate Conception.

How can I get tickets?

Anyone planning to visit Notre-Dame after its grand reopening should be aware that, when it does throw open its doors to the public, you will need to have a pre-booked ticket to enter.

In anticipation of an estimated 15 million visitors a year, the diocese is taking steps to better manage the flow of people in the 6,000m2 of the building – which can accommodate 2,500 people at a time. 

A mobile app is due to be rolled out in the autumn, and the official website is being redesigned to allow visitors to book free tickets.

But officials are keen to point out that potential visitors do not need to rush to the website or app to book months in advance. Spaces are expected to be available probably a day or two in advance, and visitors will be able to book a visit at the cathedral itself on the day they intend to visit.

What about groups?

Be aware that admission will initially be reserved for individual visitors. Group bookings will not be possible until six months after the cathedral’s reopening, officials have said.

What is the status of the restoration work?

“We can see that we are close to the goal and that fuels our confidence that we will achieve the objective,”  Philippe Jost, president of the public institution responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, told Le Parisien, in an interview to mark the date.

The vault of the transept crossing was completed in May, allowing work to start on finishes to the interior of the building, and the gradual removal of scaffolding from the outside. The cathedral’s renewed silhouette has been visible throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Spectacular steps” have been taken in the past six months, Jost said, including the completion of the solid oak frames above the nave and the choir, and the installation of the lead roofs.

But, he said, there are still “an incredible amount of things to do in every corner” – including restoring the flooring, connecting electrical networks and installing new liturgical furniture. In just 100 days. “There is no question of falling asleep and telling yourself that it’s in the bag,” Jost said.

What can I do in the meantime?

You can still walk around the site and read the posters explaining the restoration process, though you will not be able to enter. Photos of the fire-damaged cathedral and its restoration form an exhibition on the barriers keeping people out of the site.

Guided tours exist in the area, including one offered by Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and CASA volunteers. These tours are free and they go around the cathedral, lasting about one hour. More info for booking here.

Will there be other work in the future?

Even though Notre-Dame is reopening, the cathedral’s restoration work will continue for another four to five years. 

“The City of Paris … will be carrying out work around the cathedral, notably on the forecourt, for at least three years,” the diocese said in a press release.

Starting in 2025, the cathedral’s stone exterior will begin to be refurbished, using surplus funds from the huge pot of donations that poured in after the fire.

The plans include adding trees and vegetation to the square in front of the cathedral, as well as a small stream that will help to cool the area during hot weather. 

The space behind the cathedral will also be transformed, adding in a lawn and grassy area. Under the monument, the underground parking lot will transform into a visitor centre, offering an interior walkway that will give access to the archaeological crypt and will open up onto the Seine.

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