<i><b>This package was first broadcast by Monocle 24 Radio on July 23, 2013.</b></i>&#13;
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Intro:&#13;
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Bolivia is not known as a nation of immigration. Although it was colonized by Spain in the 16th century, the country does not share the same history of migrant settlement or African slavery as its neighbors Argentina and Brazil.&#13;
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But that does not mean immigrant groups are nowhere to be found. A number of small communities are hidden in the vast Bolivian countryside – including Mennonites, Russians and Germans.&#13;
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We sent Frederick Bernas to the Santa Cruz region to learn about one colony from even further afield.

Welcome to Okinawa, Bolivia

This package was first broadcast by Monocle 24 radio on November 28, 2014 – www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

During the last few years we've talked a lot about the craft beer movement.

It seems to be happening globally – and while there are thousands of varieties and flavors we now head to a European capital that has combined it with another drinking trend to create something new.

Budapest is a city renowned for its vibrant nightlife and expansive “ruin bars” in old buildings.

Now some of them are creating craft beer cocktails that challenge conventional wisdom about the drink.

Monocle’s Frederick Bernas headed to one such place to find out more.

Craft beer cocktails flowing in Budapest

This package was first broadcast by Monocle 24 radio on December 1, 2014 – www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

This week we’ve been looking at the orchestra and for our next report, we’re in Spain.

In the last few years, waves of protest have swept across the country.

Corruption, austerity, unemployment, the economy – a classic cocktail of issues has driven millions of people into the streets to voice concern about where the country’s heading.

And wherever there’s a demonstration in Madrid, you’ll probably see La Solfonica.

Since 2011, this rabble-rousing orchestra has lent its songs to hundreds of causes – and it shows no sign of stopping any time soon.

Monocle’s Frederick Bernas spent a weekend with the group.

Spanish orchestra fights with the weapon of music

This package was first broadcast by Monocle 24 radio on September 4, 2015 – www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

Anyone who has visited Buenos Aires will know it's a city with a real sweet tooth.

From dulce de leche delights for an afternoon “merienda,” or long desserts of flan and fruit salad, the capital’s appetite for sugar never appears to be satisfied.

Ice cream is a national delicacy right up there with staples like pasta, pizza and steak – and the “Guilab” project uses molecular gastronomy to take the frozen fun to a new level, with the help of liquid nitrogen and some creative recipes.

Frederick Bernas met the entrepreneurial couple on a mission to change Argentine culinary culture.

Can nitrogen ice cream change Argentine culinary culture?

This package was first broadcast by Monocle 24 radio on January 14, 2014 – www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

With the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics coming later this year, Brazil has had its fair share of the global spotlight recently.

Much of that attention has focused on Rio de Janeiro – the iconic “Marvelous City” set to welcome thousands of visitors when the Summer Games kick off in August.

But Rio’s striking natural beauty is matched in magnitude by deep social divisions that are rising to the surface.

Monocle’s Frederick Bernas met a group of activists who are fighting for greater equality and hoping to change politics in the city.


Activist group plots to reclaim Rio de Janeiro

This package was first broadcast by Monocle 24 radio on June 24, 2016 – www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

We're heading to Spain to talk virtual reality. 

The annual Sónar electronic music festival has been running for more than 20 years.

The festival has transformed from a niche event into a mainstream fixture of the European scene, constantly shifting its curatorial strategy.

Most recently, technological innovation has been prioritized, along with the idea of building creative communities that enrich each other's work.

Virtual reality has been a hot topic at Sundance, the Sheffield Doc Festival and Sónar this year. Monocle's Frederick Bernas went to find out what the fuss is all about.

Virtual Reality takes center stage at Sónar+D

This package was first broadcast by Monocle 24 radio on July 8, 2016 – www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

Stroll around Argentina’s capital any day of the week and you’ll see how much people love eating out – restaurants and cafes in the most happening neighborhoods almost never seem to close.

It’s also a city that offers far more than ever meets the eye – like the intriguing gastronomic underworld of semi-secret “closed door” restaurants that rely on word of mouth to bring in diners.

Many have popped up in the homes of chefs who lack the cash to rent commercial spaces, and relish the chance to experiment with more creative freedom than corporate establishments.

Monocle’s Frederick Bernas sent this report.

Argentine chefs find inspiration behind closed doors

This package was first broadcast by Monocle 24 radio on August 10, 2016 – www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

Since its creation in 2013, the “Remote X” audio art project has visited more than 30 locations around the world – and its latest stop is here in London.

The piece is a novel twist on immersive storytelling. Groups of people take guided walks through their city, following the whims of a computerized voice that issues instructions in their headphones.

Up to 50 participants can sign up for the tour, which invites them to reflect on themes such as the dynamics of group decision-making and individual autonomy in a hyper-organized social system.

As you wander the city, following the headphones, you encounter your own sort of personal film – and it even has a soundtrack.

Monocle’s Frederick Bernas went to find out more.


Audio art experience gives Londoners a mystery city tour

This piece was featured in The Cinema Show on Monocle 24 – January 6, 2017
www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

The final stop on our travel itinerary for today takes us to the coastal city of Mar del Plata in Argentina.

The nation’s most popular beach resort lures visitors with 10 miles of sandy beaches and what might be Latin America’s biggest film festival. 

It’s the only cinematic event in the region listed as Category A by the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations, so it's up there on an elite list with the likes of Cannes and Berlin.

The 31st edition in November included more than 300 films and a parallel program of talks, workshops and other activities.

Monocle’s Frederick Bernas was at the event and sent this report.

Latin American cinema stars at Mar del Plata festival

This piece was featured in The Arts Review on Monocle 24 – April 7, 2017 
www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

It’s rather hard to find any place in the world that doesn’t have a biennale at the moment. Now it seems even the southernmost continent hasn’t escaped without one either.

However, the first ever Antarctic Biennale claims to have cast aside the conventional ideas of these champagne-swilling events and radically reimagined the traditional model.

For a start, this biennale is mobile – based on a boat, cruising through Antarctica, it has no public audience or commercial agenda. And it’s apolitical, because the antarctic continent is not governed by any single state.

Last month, Monocle’s Frederick Bernas joined the Biennale for its inaugural 12-day expedition.

https://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-monocle-arts-review/516/antarctic-biennale/

Art on ice at the Antarctic Biennale

This story was featured in The Cinema Show on Monocle 24 – June 9, 2017 
www.monocle.com/24

INTRO

The Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema – also known as BAFICI – is a moviegoing marathon served up in the Argentine capital every April.

This year was the 19th edition. About 400 films were shown in more than 30 venues around the city, including outdoor screenings in some rather unconventional spots.

But an occasion that normally marks a highlight in the local cinema calendar came with a few sour notes this year.

Just days before the opening ceremony, scandal erupted when the head of Argentina’s National Cinema Institute – the INCAA – was forced to step down amid allegations of corruption.

Rumors also emerged about potential changes to the Institute’s funding system, and filmmakers took to the streets in protest.

As Frederick Bernas reports, the tension is showing no sign of simmering down just yet.

Buenos Aires indie film fest shaken by political scandal

A contemporary punk of all trades, Frederick dabbles in music, storytelling and cultural wanderlust. He was a founding godfather of the Ruckus Collective before relocating to Russia, where he lived the freelance lifestyle, got high on Siberian prozac and drank tea with cosmonauts, wannabe rock stars, hippie priests and failed comedy writers. Currently he's working on various projects in Latin America, including a conceptual album of eccentric vagabond beats focusing on post-psychobop and random electronica. 

frederickbernas

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