Paris Paralympics to showcase disability sport in City of Light
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00:00At the foot of the obelisk at Place de la Concorde, a group of 150 dancers is rehearsing
00:07for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics.
00:11They're keeping step to music that was born from the sound of a drum.
00:17The bodies, the movement, the rhythm being in the spotlight, I said to myself that the
00:27drums could be central, a real starting point.
00:31As with the opening ceremony for the Olympics, it's Victor Leman who has composed the music.
00:37He explains that this time the theme is a bit different and that he used the recorded
00:40sounds of the athletes breathing.
00:43They are heroes and the next day they're in a more difficult situation in their everyday
00:50lives.
00:51So in the music, there's something to portray there, with the ups and downs, and to not
00:56make music that's simply festive.
01:01Themes are also taking shape in the Atelier, where costume makers are making final touches
01:06to their designs.
01:11The costumes were all custom-made for the participants.
01:16Soon these hand-sewn pieces will be under the lights and admired by 300 million TV viewers
01:21across the globe.
01:23I tell myself that there aren't many dressmakers in 100 years that have had the same experience
01:27as me, and I consider myself lucky to do it.
01:31The excitement is building for a historic ceremony, the first in the heart of the host
01:35city for a Paralympics.
01:37The mastermind, as with the Olympics ceremonies, is Thomas Joly.
01:43I think it's going to be very moving and very powerful.
01:46So the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the closing, the opening of the Paralympics, it's
01:50the same commitment and the same emotion, the same nervousness.
01:55Once again, Paris is ready for the Olympic flame to burn bright.
01:59The cauldron will fly high above the city of lights.