The Paris Olympic Games do not begin until the end of July, but a parallel section is already well underway throughout France: the Cultural Olympiad. Organized during all the Games since those of 1992 in Barcelona, that of Paris is by far the most ambitious, with record budgets and more than 2000 events. Starting Friday, Quebec will be represented by the International Art Film Festival.
While real artistic events were set up from 1912 to 1948, the modern Cultural Olympiad is not competitive. “It is rather what we call an “official deliverable” from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which must submit a cultural offer to the host cities and countries,” explains choreographer Dominique Hervieu, responsible for the program for the Olympic Games. Paris.
Faithful to its habits of betting big on culture in its diplomatic action, France is organizing the most prestigious Cultural Olympiad to date. “As for the London Games (2012), we offer activities both in the host city and throughout the country,” explains M.me Hervieu. What is particular in 2024 is that in addition to the IOC’s initial budget of 12 million euros, we receive 9 million from the Ministry of Culture, 8 million from the City of Paris and other envelopes, in particular of the Île-de-France region and the City of Marseille. »
Bringing together cinema, dance, theater, music, visual arts, literature and gastronomy, this artistic program has been rolling out for several months and will continue until September 8, the end date of the Paralympic Games. Major institutions, such as the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles, participate, as well as renowned artists, including the choreographer Benjamin Millepied.
“We operate by labeling,” summarizes Dominique Hervieu. That is to say, we work with governments and cultural organizations, which produce the events themselves. When they request it, we grant them the “Cultural Olympiad” label, and we can guide their programming or support them in different ways. France being very organized culturally, we join forces with hundreds of partners to offer more than 2000 activities. » These are all listed and mapped on the Cultural Olympiad website.
Canadian presence
It is mainly thanks to the Canadian Cultural Center (CCC) in Paris that local artists can participate in the program. Since Thursday, the institute has been offering an exhibition by media arts artist Clive Holden. Friday evening, as part of the European Night of Museums, the CCC will present a selection of short dance films from the Montreal International Film Festival (FIFA) featuring painter Manuel Mathieu, filmmaker Béatriz Mediavilla and Cirque du Soleil, among others.
A second program of FIFA dance films is planned for 1er June. Both will be screened again in July. Additionally, on June 18, the NFB will present the documentary Cross the line (2018), by Acadian director Paul Émile d’Entremont, still at the CCC.
“At the invitation of Catherine Bédard, curator at the Canadian Cultural Center, we selected films that echo the Olympic values of surpassing oneself and excellence,” explains Philippe U. del Drago, general and artistic director of FIFA. The program also embodies the full diversity of artistic production here, with Indigenous, Quebec and Canadian creators. It’s an extraordinary showcase, in the most visited city in the world. »
This Cultural Olympiad will, in fact, be the most popular of all time, according to Dominique Hervieu. And for good reason. The French Ministry of the Economy indicates that France welcomed 100 million international visitors in 2023, and the Paris Tourist and Convention Office estimates that 15 million people will travel to Paris for the Olympic and Paralympic Games alone . Mme Hervieu is not a little proud of it: “In France, culture permeates the territory, and our Games will reflect it. »