GEMMA BOVERY *** The super-talented Fabrice Luchini is back in yet another (remember his excellent Alceste à bicyclette?) literary reference, this time to Flaubert’s Madame Bovery. It’s a moment of pure joy, as the stylish French director Anne Fontaine takes us to a charming village in Normandy to meet this modern version of Bovery. Portrayed […]
Archives for 2014
Capitaine Thomas Sankara
CAPITAINE THOMAS SANKARA **** This important documentary should not be missed. Swiss director Christophe Cupelin takes us back to the mid-1980s when Thomas Sankara, a courageous leader in Africa, decided to lead his impoverished country of Burkina Faso to productive independence and away from the usual colonial acquiescence to the wealthy and powerful West. In […]
Divonne railway station: Going, going…?
The French spa town of Divonne-les-Bains, well-known for its colourful Sunday market, is planning a major facelift of its former railway district. The area is currently serving as a parking lot with the late 19th century station lying largely derelict apart from an SCNF ticket boutique. The nearly seven hectare site will soon be turned […]
Roger’s roar and smile and their lessons for diplomats
Roger Federer is best known as a tennis player, perhaps the greatest of all time. His record of 17 Grand Slam titles is unmatched in the sport’s history. But besides his one-hand backhand, elegant dress and phenomenal court movement and presence under pressure, his recent performance at the US Open bears witness to another quality […]
Housing: Going up or down?
Given a growing return migration of Swiss and expatriate residents from across the border in France, but also economic uncertainty in Switzerland itself, there appears to be a contradiction in the way property prices are moving. Nation-wide, prices have continued to rise in 2014 – albeit at a slower rate. The Lake Geneva region, however, […]
Toxic Loom bands alert
Loom bands, those colourful American fripperies much beloved by young people around the world have been identified as a serious potential health risk. Birmingham Assay Office, an independent laboratory in the UK, has tested Loom bands and found them to contain over 500 times the recommended safe level of phthalates, a known hormone inhibitor. The […]
Swiss president’s commute – a video by swissinfo.ch
Swissinfo.ch has put together a short video exploring why Switzerland’s leaders don’t use bodyguards.
US-Swiss relations – doomed to repeat history?
Book review: Switzerland: A democracy under pressure By Stefanie Frey et al. Verlag Merker im Effingerhof, CHF 59.00 Swiss–United States relations have been strained in recent years by disagreements on several issues, most recently banking secrecy, security and privacy issues. Does the US have good reason to criticize Switzerland, or do US politicians not understand […]
Uber ignores edict and comes to Geneva
Uber, a licensed taxi substitute operating in more than 200 cities worldwide launched in Geneva this week. The controversial service connects people with a “private driver” at the tap of a button, boasting “Anytime! Anywhere! Without cash!” But all is not as it seems: the company ignores local licensing rules. Recently, licensed cabbies in London […]
Michael Schumacher moves home to continue recovery
Michael Schumacher has returned to his home near Gland from the cantonal hospital in Lausanne to continue his rehabilitation after suffering serious head injuries in a skiing accident last year. No further details have been issued regarding his condition, although a statement issued by his manager Sabine Kehm did say that he has been making […]
