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Textual transcript of the video :

Yves Saint-Geours, President of the Grand Palais : « It's one of the most emblematic flags in Paris. It's high, but not too high. It's at the heart of a colossal building. It's near the Quai D'Orsay, The Elysee Palace, these great Parisian structures. Many people are watching the flag of the Grand Palais. It's a genuine ensign. And so people quickly realize when it's damaged and they ask for it to be replaced because this great structure of glass, of iron a metallic image and metallic light is suddenly transformed by the white, blue and red of the flag.

With the help of Jean-Yves Flageul I've changed the flag twice already. It's a real expedition. We go inside one of the pillars, up a spiral staircase. Then we climb on the first roof which is at roughly 25 meters. We continue by going over the Grand Palace's copula which towers about 45 meters high and after, we enter into the tower and the dome from where we can reach the flagpole to get to its peak of 60 meters. So really it's a journey that takes you through the whole of the Grand Palais. In doing so, you get to see most of the structures. »

Jean-Yves Flageul: «The flag, though it seems like nothing, is 25 meters square. It's 6.25 meters long by 4 meters wide. The fibres of the fabric are spaced, so that the wind can go through it. »

The main problem now is going to be bringing it down because the rope is a bit tangled lowering the flag down to us is going to be difficult. I'm going to have to untangle it and then lower the flag and unhook the clasps. and put it away.

The changing of the flag on the roof

2008-05-07 Events

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Production : Établissement public du Grand Palais
Direction : Caroline Duvivier / Journalist : Hugues Bigo