ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE
2018
Holyland Experience is a christian theme park, situated in Orlando, Florida, reanacting the ancient city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus.
Opened at the beginning of the new millenium, the park quickly brought controversy.
Since it has been sold to a new owner, marketing efforts have been made to give the park a more politically correct and educational image.
The famous and graphic crucifixion of Christ is no more and most of the shows now happen indoors.
An uncanny mix of religion, entertainment, consumerism and proselytism, the park reflects the way religion is lived in the US.
The actor impersonating Jesus, with his magnetic aura, is definitely the star of the show and it is not rare to see people addressing him as if he was the Lord. Seeing him appear from time to time is both exciting and a bit strange.
The park is definitely an odd place, its kitsch architecture, the peak of it being the Noe’s Arch themed garden, sheltering an impossible attempt to mix sacred and entertainment.
