Olympics ceremony creator defends show [Video]

Organisers behind the Olympics Opening Ceremony have defended the performance amid backlash over its controversial and “blasphemous” nature.

The ceremony came under fire by the public, who accused it of “mocking” Christianity. This included a parody of “The Last Supper” and several other references to the religion.

In a press conference on Saturday, 27 July, the Olympics Opening Ceremony artistic director Thomas Jolly defended the show amid the backlash.

In it, he claimed his intention was “not to be subversive, mock or shock.”

He said: “Our idea was inclusion. Naturally, when we want to include everyone and not exclude anyone, questions are raised.

“We wanted to talk about diversity. Diversity means being together. We wanted to include everybody.

“In France, we have artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country.”