Paris, France - Recent The freshly restored Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was damaged by a huge fire in 2019, will reopen its doors to the gaze of the entire world, with grand ceremonies scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Anticipated for five years, the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral will be marked by unprecedented celebrations. As the final preparations unfold, the public is gradually discovering the work of the craftsmen. Nearly 2,000 people have taken on the challenge of rebuilding the cathedral in record time. At the end of November, a coin collection representing this Gothic architectural masterpiece was launched by the Monnaie de Paris to celebrate the cathedral's restoration. This collection, in the shape of an ogive, typical of Gothic art, presents the cathedral seen from the front, crowned by a rose window, echoing the building's stained-glass windows. The reverse side depicts the interior of the cathedral. Founded in the 12th century, at the same time as the cathedral, the Maitrise Notre-Dame de Paris is part of the cathedral's intangible heritage. Starting Saturday, music will once again accompany all ceremonies and daily activities at Notre-Dame, with rehearsals well underway. As for the liturgical vestments, this task was entrusted to the designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. These vestments are white, the color used for major liturgical celebrations like Christmas, and their ornamentation is inspired by elements that make up the visual identity of the cathedral: the golden cross and the colorful light from the stained-glass windows, marked by dominant yellow, blue, red, and green tones. Shotlist: Paris, France - Recent: 1. Various of restored Notre-Dame de Paris, construction facilities; 2. Various of coin collection launched by Monnaie de Paris for celebrating cathedral's restoration; 3. SOUNDBITE (French) Joaquin Jimenez, chief engraver, Monnaie de Paris (starting with shot 2/partially overlaid with shots 4-6): "In the 'French Excellence' series, we worked this year on the reconstruction of the Notre-Dame de Paris. I was able to meet the carpenters for this work; it was essential. What's exceptional is that architects had made millimeter-perfect drawings of the existing framework a few years ago, and they reproduced it exactly, down to the millimeter. It was absolutely fabulous. So, meeting them was an extraordinary experience for me. We didn't need words to communicate with each other -- it was like a meeting of craftsmanship, which also exists here. We are a conservatory of ancient techniques, and they, too, have complicated techniques like ours, which they continue to pass on."; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Paris, France - Exact Date Unknown 4. Various of cathedral under restoration; Paris, France - Recent 5. Various of Jimenez working on design drawing; 6. Various of coin; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 7. Henri Chalet, principal choirmaster, director of Maitrise Notre-Dame de Paris, conducting choir; 8. SOUNDBITE (French) Henri Chalet, principle choirmaster/director, Maitrise Notre-Dame de Paris (starting with shot 7/partially overlaid with shot 9): "Well, we're keeping a little bit of a surprise for the music, but obviously, there will be a lot to hear during the entire week after reopening, including many repertoires ranging from Gregorian chant to contemporary music. The idea is that when people come in, whether they are Catholic or not, whether they are tourists, Parisians, or people from all over the world, they will obviously be amazed by the architecture, the beauty of the liturgy, and the music that will begin to resonate in this place."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 9. Various of Chalet playing piano, conducting choir; 10. Liturgical vestment for reopening ceremony; 11. Designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac showcasing liturgical vestment; 12. Liturgical vestment; designer working; 13. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, liturgical vestment designer (starting with shot 12/partially overlaid with shot 14)" "My thought was that we had to create something that was both medieval and, I would say, futuristic. So, it should be retro-futuristic because it carries the intrinsic values of the Notre-Dame that bring people together and are, moreover, universal. And there is also this desire from the diocese to speak to the younger generations."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 14. Various of liturgical vestment; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 15. Notre-Dame de Paris. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]