SOCHI OLYMPIC GAMES:
CLOSING CEREMONY
Many of us know Russia through the countless artists who’ve written memorable words, composed beautiful melodies and painted extraordinary artworks – surprising, revolutionising and impacting on cultures and countries far away. This Ceremony is an an affectionate tribute, inspired by their work.
The poetic gesture of the clown intended as monologue for a single spectator or an Olympic ceremony
A Closing Ceremony is a time for reflection. This evening we’ll look at the immediate past – celebrate the athletes who’ve made the Games so memorable, and salute the volunteers who’ve helped to make it all possible. We’ll look at the distant past – the spirit, culture and traditions of Russia – an historical perspective that also reflects the present: the universal human values that the Olympic Games embody. And finally, we’ll look to the future. The sequence ‘A New Spring’ represents the Olympic Flame’s everlasting nature – may it blaze brightly in the hands of its next custodians, our friends in Pyeongchang.
A number of my shows have reached Russian audiences, creating a bond that’s hard to describe. Some say it’s the nostalgia that permeates my work, the constant search for the sensitivity expressed by friendship or an empathy with the stories told by my characters.
Eight years after directing the Closing Ceremony of the Turin 2006 Olympic Games, I find myself here in Sochi and, I must say, it’s been another amazing experience. Thank you Konstantin and the team at the Ceremonies Staging Agency for making it possible. I’ve surrounded myself with my family – Julie, Hugo, Elena, Giovanna, Bryn, Gianmaria and many others – and I’ve found new friends. Together we’ve tried to create a night full of magic and excitement.
Daniele Finzi Pasca
Artistic Director, Author & Director
Sochi 2014 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
Daniele Finzi Pasca – Artistic Director, Author & Director
Julie Hamelin Finzi – Associate Artistic Director
Hugo Gargiulo – Head of Set & Props Designer
Giovanna Buzzi – Costume Designer
Elena Shubina – Creative Producer
Creator and Designer of the Light Forest: Compagnia Finzi Pasca
Roberto Vitalini – Light Forest Video Designer
Geneviève Dupéré – Co-Aerial Choreographer
Alexis Bowles – Light Forest Artistic Director
Chiqui Barbé – Director’s Assistant
Kristina Larina – Director’s Assistant
Alona Umanskaya – Director’s Assistant
Maria Levina – Director’s Assistant
Helena Bittencourt – Director’s Assistant
Goos Meeuwsen – Director’s Assistant
Kapitolina Tsvetkova-Plotnikova – Director’s Assistant
Polina Shubina – Creative team Assistant