The church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris shines in an immersive light show
As dusk falls over the City of Light, a new spectacle is illuminating Saint-Sulpice church, a monument whose interiors are even larger than Notre Dame’s
The church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris shines in an immersive light show
Show all 4Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.As dusk falls over the City of Light, a new spectacle is illuminating Saint-Sulpice church, a monument whose interiors are even larger than Notre Dame's — and arguably just as breathtaking.
The cavernous walls of the neoclassical gem on Paris' Left Bank are coming alive with 360-degree video projections, sparkling cutting-edge technology and actors, all telling the story of the church and its place in French history.
Blending centuries of intrigue, revolution and family drama, the show reimagines the Saint-Germain district during the Fronde, the 17th-century civil war, and the lead-up to the French Revolution.
“Paris Cœur de Lumières” (Paris Chancel of Lights), which runs until Nov. 23, transforms the church’s sprawling 6,000-square-meter (65,000-square-foot) interior into a digital stage through advanced video mapping.
“From a technological standpoint, it’s a laser scan of the entire building that allows us to reconstruct the space in three dimensions,” director Damien Fontaine explained.
“We then ‘unfold’ it like origami ... and put it back into 3D to be projected as a single unified image. We have over 45 projectors, each covering a part of the vaults, a section of a pillar, or a piece of the nave. It’s ... a mosaic of images to form one large picture.”
Projections transform stone carvings into animated storytellers, while immersive soundscapes, paired with an original score, wrap the audience in a sensory experience.
The actors brought history to life. Over 350 performers and volunteers, clad in more than 500 historical costumes, move among the audience portraying local families and rivalries, threading personal narratives into the broader history.
Many of those who volunteered themselves marveled at learning about little known aspects of French history.
Anne Dubosc, a 65-year-old amateur actress, played Anne of Austria, mother of Sun King Louis XIV.
“She was a remarkable woman, very involved in politics and religion,” Dubosc said. “I hadn’t realized how important she was. If Louis XIV became the man he was, it was partly thanks to this woman, this mother who was like a tigress, doing everything to protect her son and teaching him to be a great statesman.”
Performing in Saint-Sulpice, she added, was extraordinary: “It’s exceptional. You lose track of what’s happening, of where fiction ends and history begins.”
Her historic costume shaped her performance — literally.
“I have a corset that squeezes me so tightly,” she said. “You realize there’s a very 18th-century way of holding yourself, of carrying your shoulders and neck, which gives a natural majesty. The costume really impacts how you carry your body, and that posture influences your mind, giving character to this woman of state.”
The production underscored a growing trend in Paris of using light technology to show off the city's storied church interiors. A similar illuminations display took place at Saint-Eustache church until September, featuring video projections, lighting effects and spatialized electronic soundtrack.
___
Associated Press writer Marine Lesprit contributed to this report.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.