Films — Affairs

Our foreign editor, Steve Bloomfield, and photographer Sebastian Meyer visit Sulaymaniyah, the cultural capital of Iraqi Kurdistan to meet the artists, journalists and musicians putting the city on the map.

With the city’s bid to host the 2020 Olympics in full swing, the fabric of Istanbul is shaping up. We meet the cultural and commercial players flexing their muscles.

On the outskirts of downtown, Hong Kong’s east side is a former industrial neighbourhood undergoing a renaissance. We explore the abundant warehouse towers that are now home to a new generation of stores, galleries and innovative start-ups giving the area new life and a sense of community.

Hong Kong’s east side is a former industrial neighbourhood undergoing a renaissance. We explore the warehouses that are now home to stores, galleries and innovative start-ups moving away from downtown.

Under the leadership of a progressive mayor, Kaohsiung in the south of Taiwan is no longer the neglected sibling of the capital Taipei. With its harbour being redeveloped and refreshed infrastructure within the city, Monocle visits to learn how to balance culture, industry and liveability.

No one is better placed to offer valuable advice on tricky projects and ambitious, world-changing actions than the people at the sharp end - precisely the kind of individuals giving the benefit of their hard-won experience here.

Investment from Beijing and abroad has brought a boom to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Monocle visits the city to gauge its progress.

Each Swiss valley has its own culture - even language. Locals make the most of their isolation but also know how to sell their skills. The Lower Engadine has perfected this lost-world vibrancy.

Monocle's third annual Soft Power Survey is an attempt to push the debate on where soft power comes from and how to use it. With current shifts in the global power balance, never has it been more relevant.

No election is as large and as talked about as the race for the White House. Monocle 24 dispatched a team to New York to cover the vote for a special series of Midori House broadcasts and our film team was on hand to capture the action on election day itself. Listen again to any of our shows via the Timeshift player on monocle.com or by downloading them from iTunes.

In Japan, if you're not doing ‘Rajio Taiso’ you're either dead or you've slept in. Millions of Japanese rise early every morning to get together and do radio exercises – the rest do them at work.

Maputo's turbulent history includes colonial rule, war and regime change. And it's a rich history told in the buildings that line the streets of Mozambique's capital.

In the forest of Evjemoen, Norway's officer training school puts troops through an extreme test of endurance. It's a physical and mental challenge but more of the latter in these days of modern warfare.

Marseille is a city embracing the future while keeping its celebrated multicultural personality intact. To discover the beating heart of Marseille, Monocle Films visits three hoteliers whose establishments reflect the evolution of this heady Mediterranean city: Au Vieux Panier, Le Petit Nice and Hotel Le Corbusier.

The South Korean city of Yeosu is host to the three-month world Expo 2012. The fair aims to spread awareness about ocean life but most people show up for the entertainment, including national pavilions, robots, K-pop acts and a bayside water-and-fire show. Monocle’s Kenji Hall went to find out more.