The 2016 ISIL Games: Closing Ceremony Pt.4

This should be read as a direct continuation of Part 3; http://watchitdie.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/the-2016-isil-games-closing-ceremony-pt3.html

A Moment of Reflection: It has become something of a tradition that at least one ceremony features a short sequence that allows us to reflect on those that we have lost.

Generally this sequence is not officially dedicated to anyone in particular. This leaves you as the viewer free to use this time to reflect on loved ones you personally may have lost. However in this particular ceremony I think that many people's minds will have been drawn to Stefan Henze - the 35 year old German Canoe Slalom coach who was killed in a car crash in Rio on August 12th (12/8/16). 

Coming on the 40th anniversary of the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics the moment of reflection in the 2012 London games was particularly poignant. However the hosts did rather spoil it by seeming to imply that the 52 people killed in the July 7th 2005 (7/7/05) terror attacks on London, UK were somehow more important. Those attacks occurred of course the day after London was awarded the 2012 games.

This particular sequence was inspired by the Portuguese word; "Saudade" which describes a sense of deep melancholy for those who have died, moved away or are simply missing.

Therefore it seemed intended to invoke memories of the some 80,000 people across Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Columbia, Peru and Venezuela who simply disappeared during "Operation Condor" which was conducted by America and the military dictatorships it backed across Latin America during the so-called "Dirty War" against Communism between 1968 and 1989.

Probably of the most famous of those affected by Saudade caused during the Dirty War are the so-called "Mothers of Plaza de Mayo." These were the mothers of the disappeared who gathered week-in-week-out in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina outside the Presidential Palace of dictator Jorge Rafael Videla to demand to know what had happened to their children.

The NATO "Gladio" strategy that brought Videla to power in Argentina is of course the same one that created the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and their paramilitary wing the "Grey Wolves" in Turkey. Perhaps inspired by the ceremony on August 30th (30/8/15) Turkey called on its supporters to launch a social media day of action for Syria's "disappeared." I suspect they rather missed the point.

During this sequence which was essentially darkness, sombre music and silence the word "Saudade" was repeatedly projected onto the area floor.

This projection also included lines and shapes that were intended to reference the stars and constellations of space. In turn this invoked the religious concept of Heaven. Even those without a religious concept of heaven may well find that staring out into the vast expanse of the universe gives them some consolation from their grief.

The way that these words, lines and shapes also seemed to invoke the way that chemical formula are written down.

Within astrophysics it is established that neither energy nor matter can be created nor destroyed - the famous E=MC^2 equation. Therefore all those people who have lived or will ever live continue to exist in some form within the universe. I personally find that comforting.

There is a particularly branch of Chemistry concerned with the way that energy transfers into the matter that makes up all the organisms around us known as "Quantum Chemistry." That obviously references China's Quantum Satellite "QUESS" that was referenced earlier in the ceremony.

Probably the World's most famous Quantum Chemist is German Head of Government (Chancellor) Angela Merkel. The obvious intelligence that it required for her to achieve her PHD in such a complex field obviously makes her complete inability to respond to Europe's migration crisis all the harder to explain.

For me this entire sequence was completely ruined by the fact that the British team had been seated almost centre stage between the camera and the action. They of course chose to wear these rather silly shoes with bright flashing lights in them as a reference to the current fashion for smart fabrics.

So during this very sombre sequence the British athletes were all sitting there - front and centre - looking like they were at some terrible youth club disco.

I'm sure though that Britain's positioning at the top of the medal table at the ISIL games was entirely complementary though.

At around 20:45 on 2/9/16 (UK date) I seem to have run out of talent for such melancholy so I'll pick this up once the weekend is done.

Edited at around 15:25 on 5/9/16 (UK date) to add;

As the moment of silence itself drew to a close performers in oversized black lace dresses started to take to the arena floor. In many cultures the wearing of black lace - especially as a face veil - is considered a sign of mourning. Particularly by women who are mourning the husbands or children that they have lost.

One of the largest producers of high quality lace - of all colours - is Brazil's old colonial power Portugal. This was one of the many industries imported from Portugal to Brazil. Up until the 19th century this lace making was done by slave woman. It was one of the concessions leading up to the abolishment of slavery that these women were allowed to use their skills to make lace at home which they were allowed to sell on the streets during their free time.

This was signified by a black woman sitting in the centre of the arena working away at one of the bobbins used to make lace.

The sequence ended with an intricate black lace design being projected onto the centre of the arena floor. The complexity of this design was obviously in keeping with the geometry theme of the Opening Ceremony.

I suppose though you could also interprete it as a reference to the World map at the centre of the United Nations (UN) flag. Unlike commonly used maps this is drawn from the perspective of being above the North Pole.

I though took it as a reference to a tattoo I've got on my back that played such a large part in the 2012 ceremonies. This tattoo is of a Pict tribal design known as an "Ulbster Cross." You can no doubt find many examples of it on the Internet. However it is an intricate circular design featuring interwoven knotworks. It has four points rather like a compass giving it a cross shape.

Claykickers: This next sequence lifted the sense of Saudade with an exhibition of Brazil's "Fomo" style of dance by a group called Parabello.

Although it has clear links with ballet and capoeira Fomo also has influences of Celtic dance styles - particularly with the music being used in this example. Being Scottish the BBC commentator Hazel Irvine likened this to Scottish Highland dancing. However I think an Irish person would liken it to traditional Irish dancing.

This obviously touched on the topic of the ancient tribes of Britain that was such a major theme of the 2012 Para-Olympic Closing Ceremony. This topic is particularly relevant to this year's hosts because amongst all their other ethnic groups Brazil actually has one of the largest ethnically Welsh, Welsh speaking populations outside of Wales. Along with the Irish and Scottish the Welsh are one of the nationalities that frequently get lumped together as; "Celtic."

I think the globally most famous example of Irish dancing is the stageshow "Riverdance." The rain had covered the stage in a thin layer of water giving the impression that Parabello were literally dancing in a river. Being fully aware that these Summer games were actually taking place in the depths of Rio's winter I suspect the show organisers were hoping for at least a little bit of rain.

As Parabello performed on stage the arena floor was filled with performers dressed up as clay figurines who began to dance with each other.

Officially this was a reference to the work of famous Brazilian sculptor Vitalino Perira dos Santos. Some of his work is on display at Rio's Museu Nacional de Belas Artes. As I'm sure these games have inspired you to visit Brazil you may wish to make a trip to that museum part of you upcoming holiday to Rio.

However this spectacle of clay figurines made me think of the Golem of Jewish folklaw. As with all fairytales there isn't a definitive version of the Golem story. However almost all of them talk of a clay figurine brought to life. People would write instructions on a piece of paper and drop them into the Golem's mouth. The Golem which had no mind of its own would then carry out those instructions often protecting people from evil forces.

During the 2012 London games the UK did rather seem to view me as its very own Golem. They would simply raise so issue  for me and I would then go off unthinking and talk about it unquestionably doing their bidding. That idea didn't work out so well for the UK.

During their dancing these clay figures formed large "X" formations. This again made me think of my tattoo. This was done by a Brazilian artist under the supervision of my Israeli/British dual national ex-girlfriend although I think that's a little too formal a description.

The last I saw of the pair they were both heading off to Brazil for the Rio Carnival. However I have since heard very strong rumours that this ex returned to the UK before getting sucked down into Crack Cocaine addiction and prostitution although I haven't verified that for myself.

So how's that for slut shaming on a grand scale.

The kicks of the Fomo dancers along with all the clay made me think of the term; "Claykicker."

A big theme in the run-up to these games has been Brazil's attempts to tackle its problems with child sexual abuse and child prostitution that has made it a top destination for child sex tourists.

Child sexual abuse is of course something of an obsession for the UK seeming to feature in every BBC TV show made in 2015. One in particular that was discussed a lot at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest is "Peaky Blinders."

The what I supposed you would term the origin story for Peaky Blinders is that some of the Shelby crime family served together in the British Army during the First World War. Specifically they served in engineering units that dug secret tunnels stretching under no-mans land beneath enemy trenches. These tunnels were then packed with explosives and used to blow up the enemy's trenches. These units were nicknamed Claykickers.

This tactic of digging long tunnels under enemy positions and then blowing them up has enjoyed something of a resurgence in the current war in Syria.

Along with the use of trench warfare and chemical weapons it is yet another sign of how that war is dragging us back to a time of Empire and constant war that few these days will remember and fewer still will want to return to.

16:35 on 5/9/16 (UK date).