Films — Affairs
102 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★ - 2 ratingsOur global network of film-makers delivers reports on the stories, ideas, cities and politicians shaping the world.
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Episodes
Meet Europe’s first chief heat officer
July 27, 2022 09:34 - 4 minutes - 53.2 MB VideoAthens is the hottest capital city in mainland Europe and temperatures continue to rise. That’s why Eleni Myrivili was appointed as the city’s – and continent’s – first chief heat officer last summer. We meet her on Philoppapou hill to hear about how urban design can help to build resilience against rising temperatures. [Read more in the July/August issue of Monocle.](https://monocle.com/shop/product/2169322/issue-155-double-issue/)
Keeping the faith
October 05, 2021 08:13 - 3 minutes - 8.53 MB VideoIn this digital age, do we need more forgiveness and sacrifice in our lives? And where can we look for direction? Monocle Films sat down with Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to find out how the church strives to address contemporary needs and remain relevant in the Greek society.
Monocle’s digital decency manifesto
March 09, 2021 09:00 - 2 minutes - 4.8 MB VideoTechnology is everywhere but that ubiquity can come at a cost to our health, wellbeing and the quality of our conversations. View our manifesto for a more dignified relationship with all things digital and learn to be a little kinder and more cautious online.
Sweden’s Arctic: green innovation
January 05, 2021 10:54 - 7 minutes - 63.1 MB VideoNorrbotten in Sweden is blessed with natural resources but more recently has been turning heads because of its growing roster of innovative start-ups. We bear witness to the region's effort to change heavy industries into clean businesses.
Tsinandali tunes
September 27, 2019 18:00 - 7 minutes - 63.3 MB VideoThe first edition of a Georgian festival that’s bringing together musicians from the Caucasus to discuss their shared future.
Privacy alerts
August 01, 2019 07:00 - 1 minute - 21.4 MB VideoFrom social media to mass surveillance, we know that we are losing the ability to be private, to have lives for us and our children that are off-grid. But we can regain some control. This is how.
Madrid: The Monocle Quality of Life Conference
July 05, 2019 16:30 - 2 minutes - 26.7 MB VideoWe gathered together a peerless group of thinkers, entrepreneurs, reporters and makers for our fifth annual conference. It was a unique mix of debate, dinner and hospitality; we look back at some of the moments that made our sunny 2019 edition such a success.
Most liveable city, 2019: Zürich
June 21, 2019 16:20 - 2 minutes - 32.6 MB VideoFrom the revived Le Corbusier Pavilion to a slick airport extension, we take lessons in living better from this year’s winning city.
Quality of Life Survey: top 25 cities, 2019
June 21, 2019 16:10 - 6 minutes - 85.2 MB VideoWhat makes cities tick: security, nightlife, infrastructure? Join us on a round-the-world trip of places that we’d like to call home.
10 things you’ll find out in Madrid
May 17, 2019 09:00 - 1 minute - 11.6 MB VideoTaking an interest and making connections have been at the heart of our unmissable annual gatherings. Tune in for a preview of the Monocle Quality of Life Conference programme, which is packed with thought-provoking ideas and inspiring speakers. This is where you need to be. Book your ticket [here](https://conference.monocle.com/payment/).
Hot off the press
March 22, 2019 09:00 - 4 minutes - 26.4 MB VideoPrompted by Brexit, among other things, we’ve embarked on a design update. We’ve changed up the paper stock and fired up presses just outside of Hamburg to keep Monocle at the top of the pile. Join us for a tour of the on-page innovations in the [April issue of the magazine](https://monocle.com/shop/product/1473872/issue-122/).
Icebreakers: life on board
March 07, 2019 07:00 - 8 minutes - 62.3 MB VideoMany seamen see icebreaking as a career pinnacle. We peek into the snug cabins, well-kitted kitchen and memorabilia-filled gym to see what serving on icebreaker ‘Kontio’ is really like. You can also catch up with episode one [here](https://monocle.com/film/affairs/icebreakers-rescue-know-how/).
Icebreakers: rescue know-how
February 28, 2019 07:00 - 10 minutes - 67.3 MB VideoFinland has obvious natural advantages that have helped it become an icebreaking powerhouse but the country’s dominance in the field is startling. We travel to the Bay of Bothnia to bear witness to the beginning of the icebreaking season. You can also watch episode two [here](https://monocle.com/film/affairs/icebreakers-life-on-board/).
Icebreakers at work
February 25, 2019 05:30 - 1 minute - 17.1 MB VideoThroughout the long Finnish winter, the country’s ports are kept open by a small but determined fleet of icebreakers. Monocle Films hops on board to see how it’s done.
Belgium: state of the nation
February 08, 2019 11:00 - 2 minutes - 8.56 MB VideoWith its liberal and energetic approach to diplomacy, and a growing influence in art and sport, Belgium has plenty to offer on the world stage.
Soft Power Survey 2018/19
December 21, 2018 14:30 - 9 minutes - 50.2 MB VideoWe join the conga of the top 25 nations that got it right (and wrong) in this most delicate of diplomatic skills.
Canada: state of the nation
November 06, 2018 09:00 - 3 minutes - 11.2 MB VideoFrom a thriving economy to potent soft-power credentials, we unpack what keeps Canada on the up.
Zürich: The Monocle Quality of Life Conference
October 02, 2018 14:24 - 1 minute - 19.6 MB VideoOur conference has become a key gathering for people who want to create better cities, homes and lives. Bringing together a global audience who see the bigger picture, it's a unique mix of debates, dinner and hospitality. So how can you get involved? We look back at the moments that made the sunny 2018 edition in Zürich such a success. [Next stop: Madrid. Buy your ticket for the 2019 edition of the conference](https://conference.monocle.com/).
Lebanon: state of the nation
August 23, 2018 14:30 - 2 minutes - 7.85 MB VideoWith a cosmopolitan capital, picturesque countryside and improving – albeit fluctuating – security, Lebanon is on the up.
Ethiopia and Eritrea: blue skies ahead
August 09, 2018 14:25 - 2 minutes - 9.26 MB VideoCelebrations have been erupting in Ethiopia and Eritrea as their 20-year conflict comes to an end. We board the first flight between Addis Ababa and Asmara since 1998 to capture the mood as friends and families are finally reunited.
Building safer cities
July 31, 2018 11:07 - 2 minutes - 33.7 MB VideoMonocle Films travels to Paris to bear witness to the French capital’s efforts to mitigate terrorism through smart design and architecture.
Quality of Life Survey: top 25 cities, 2018
June 22, 2018 12:30 - 8 minutes - 92.2 MB VideoOur annual ranking is back as we take a fresh look at the best cities to call home. From open-minded mayors and improved transport links to fresh retail openings and investment in public space, find out who’s doing it best.
Munich: the best of everything
June 20, 2018 13:55 - 2 minutes - 31.1 MB VideoWe take lessons in liveability from the winner of 2018’s Monocle Quality of Life survey. Join us for a tour of the Bavarian capital, where we cover everything from improved infrastructure to new clubs.
Kenya: state of the nation
June 14, 2018 11:00 - 2 minutes - 7.86 MB VideoThis east African anchor boasts world-famous writers and athletes but corruption and flawed infrastructure hold it back.
Venice: soft-power potential
June 01, 2018 20:40 - 5 minutes - 54 MB VideoMonocle editor in chief Tyler Brûlé takes a look at how nations are using the world stage of the Venice Architecture Biennale to reflect their identity and build their brand.
Future cities – mobilising change
May 14, 2018 13:46 - 7 minutes - 72.1 MB VideoMonocle Films travels to Copenhagen and Mexico City with Audi to see how cities and their citizens are facing the challenge of building sustainable mobility in urban settings.
Netherlands: state of the nation
May 03, 2018 11:00 - 2 minutes - 8.66 MB VideoIn our animated series we assess how the Dutch are performing on the world stage as well as at home.
Officer class: Poland's military university
April 14, 2018 11:00 - 4 minutes - 47.4 MB VideoMonocle Films visits Poland's land-forces academy, which is nurturing the next generation of officers to fuel its expanding defence forces.
Russia: state of the nation
March 08, 2018 14:40 - 2 minutes - 6.96 MB VideoThe soft power of the world’s largest country has taken a hit of late. We look at Russia’s ups and downs in our animated nation survey.
Zürich: The Monocle Quality of Life Conference
February 23, 2018 15:00This June we're discovering all this Swiss city has to offer from dips in the lakeside pools to post-event escapes in the mountains. Prepare to be challenged and inspired by a host of thinkers who will be reimagining urban living and exploring our key theme: ‘made in the city’.
Soft Power Survey 2017/18
December 28, 2017 09:00 - 9 minutes - 22.6 MB VideoWho's in and who's out in 2017? We survey the top 25 nations who got it right (and wrong) in this most delicate of diplomatic skills.
Why start-ups thrive in Canada
December 18, 2017 09:00 - 8 minutes - 76.1 MB VideoTo celebrate this year's soft power survey winner, we visit an emerging roster of budding businesses in Montreal. Canada's innovations minister Navdeep Bains reveals how the country is capitalising on the US's restrictive visa policies.
Turkey's California
August 24, 2017 10:15 - 1 minute - 12.2 MB VideoWe travel to the Aegean Coast in Turkey, where tourism may be falling but its beach clubs are buoyed by a homegrown crowd escaping city life and political upheaval.
Monocle – The Summer Weekly
July 31, 2017 16:00 - 2 minutes - 17.9 MB VideoOur new venture 'Monocle – The Summer Weekly' will hit newsstands on 10 August. We talk to editor in chief Tyler Brûlé and editor Andrew Tuck about the concept, design and power of print. Available to order now at [The Monocle Shop](/shop/magazine/other/).
Brand Berlin
July 31, 2017 13:00 - 1 minute - 17.3 MB VideoThe German capital has become home to numerous new businesses and start-ups, attracting people from around the globe. And despite its complex past, it is an outpost of liberalism, possibility and ambition. How can other cities learn from Berlin’s successes – and the challenges it’s faced?
Berlin: The Monocle Quality of Life Conference
July 19, 2017 17:00 - 1 minute - 19.4 MB VideoAcross an enthralling weekend in Berlin, Monocle’s third annual conference saw us mull over a subject that has preoccupied us since launch: Quality of Life. From urban planning to the health of the media industry, the future of entrepreneurship, hospitality, property and more, we brought together more than 30 expert speakers and 150 delegates for a fresh perspective on the world we live in. [Next stop: Madrid. Buy your ticket for the 2019 edition of the conference](https://conference.monocle...
Quality of Life Survey: top 25 cities, 2017
June 28, 2017 17:50 - 7 minutes - 78.6 MB VideoFrom Amsterdam to Zürich, find out who's up and who's down in our global ranking of the best cities in the world to live in.
Introducing The Summer Weekly
June 27, 2017 10:20 - 1 minute - 11.9 MB VideoHotel? Tick. Sun lounger? Tick. Reading material? For four weeks this August our brand-new sunny newspaper will be hitting newsstands in cities and resorts around the world. Kick back with 48 pages of global affairs, comment and reportage, alongside arts, business and design coverage. Tick. Available to order now at [The Monocle Shop](/shop/magazine/other/).
Sweden on high alert
April 11, 2017 23:00 - 7 minutes - 102 MB VideoThe flare-up in the Baltic region has seen tensions rising in Sweden. We visit Gotland to see what action the government is taking to fortify the island.
Iceberg hunters
December 22, 2016 08:00 - 2 minutes - 10.3 MB VideoMonocle Films meets the little-known International Ice Patrol that is keeping ships safe as they navigate Atlantic waters.
Soft Power Survey 2016/17
November 18, 2016 15:00 - 5 minutes - 8.28 MB VideoIn this year's Soft Power Survey we look at the hard truths of politics and how a tumultuous year has affected the softer sides of nations. Find out who’s in and who’s out as we count down to the winner.
Montevideo: broad horizons
August 12, 2016 12:45 - 2 minutes - 13.6 MB VideoWith its intriguing mix of grand colonial boulevards, art deco façades and buzzing plazas, Uruguay’s capital is emerging as a beacon of creativity and democracy in Latin America. Monocle’s Tomos Lewis and photographer Ana Cuba travelled to Montevideo to find out more about Latam’s most liveable, lovable and liberal capital.
Brno: fully functional
July 21, 2016 16:00 - 6 minutes - 57 MB VideoThe Czech Republic’s second city was central to European design before falling into a troubled 20th-century sleep. Revival came thanks to research investment but its future may lie in its design heritage.
Night mayors
July 12, 2016 15:45 - 5 minutes - 65.7 MB VideoWe pull up a bar stool in Amsterdam at the inaugural Night Mayor Summit to hear from pioneering night watchmen and urban provocateurs in cities around the world.
Most liveable city, 2016: Tokyo
June 20, 2016 09:25 - 3 minutes - 42.7 MB VideoThis city of 13 million nurtures a balance of hi-tech efficiency and traditional neighbourhood values – and it’s a combination that wins the Japanese capital the top spot for a second year running. Our film focuses on its nocturnal delights, from sunset sports to the public-transport system, restaurants to late-night shopping. (You can also buy our Tokyo travel guide, available now at the [Monocle Shop.](https://monocle.com/shop/books-and-music/travel-guides/the-monocle-travel-guide-tokyo/))
Top 25 cities, 2016
June 20, 2016 09:24 - 5 minutes - 59.8 MB VideoThe ups and downs of our annual global ranking covering the world's most liveable cities – who's in and who's out?
How to make a nation
June 16, 2016 09:00 - 2 minutes - 24.3 MB VideoFrom diplomacy to government, business to media, how do we create a vibrant nation? To coincide with the publication of [“How to Make a Nation: A Monocle Guide”](https://monocle.com/shop/books-and-music/books/how-to-make-a-nation-a-monocle-guide/), Steve Bloomfield posed this question to panellists and delegates at our Quality of Life Conference in Vienna.
São Tomé: blinded by the sun
June 14, 2016 09:00 - 2 minutes - 10.6 MB VideoMonocle's Steve Bloomfield and photographer Zed Nelson travel to São Tomé to report on the corruption and misguided ambition that have been a blight on the fortunes of this tropical African island.
Nagorno-Karabakh: limbo land
May 26, 2016 09:00 - 3 minutes - 18.4 MB VideoThe republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in the Caucasus lies in purgatory. Despite its violent history, peace and PR is seen as the fastest route to normality; we visited just before the flare-up in 2016 to see if it can succeed.
Let’s talk about it
May 03, 2016 10:00 - 2 minutes - 28.7 MB VideoCan good design cut through the babble? Who are the media players that still engage us in print and beyond? How can technology become less demanding and more friendly? And what happens when we stop meeting face to face? This film set up the digital-versus-analogue debate at Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Vienna.