PEOPLE

People: Gil Kenny of SHARKPROD

Back in the 1950's the French Riviera  became a vibrant playground for the Hollywood set and it has been backdrop for many movies ever since, just think Grace Kelly & Cary Grant! Thanks to the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco TV Festival, we still get a fair amount of glitz and glam to this region every year. Since 2011 a 'French-American Production Company' called SHARKPROD is bringing even more of that film biz atmosphere to the area. Gil Kenny is the founder and brain behind Sharkprod. As an experienced man  behind the camera he has worked with names like Woody Allen and being bilingual and more-or-less a local, he really facilitates film-making for many foreign projects seeking to shoot around Monaco and the French Riviera. We got to find out a bit more about him and his company:

How long have you been living in the region and what brought you here?

I lived here when i was a little boy with my family in St Jean Cap Ferrat, moved to the USA and came here 20 years ago, i came back because i missed it and had great work opportunity...

Gil at work

 You have been working on lots of movies, what has been your experience and how would you describe the difference between French and American productions?

My experience has been very good and i have achieved to learn a lot very quickly, having been Assistant Director with a real passion, that Dept of the Crew gave me the possibility of dealing with every other departments with many responsibilities which i really enjoyed. The only difference between French and American productions is really the amount of people, everyone works the same and this is why we work very well together, of course the number of crew members will depend wether it's a small comedy film with no effects or action or a big blockbuster which will require a bigger staff.

Gil Kenny

You own and run Sharkprod, a production company on the French Riviera, - describe your offered services quickly?

Sharkprod is an Executive Production Service Company, based in Monaco. It was created to welcome companies worldwide in producing projects in Monaco, the French Riviera & Corsica. Sharkprod provides a complete range of services including crews, equipment, locations, models and in-house extras' casting. Our crews are fully bilingual and have access to cutting edge equipments in Camera, Lighting or Grip equipment

What has been your most exciting production in your career so far and why?

My most exciting project was when i was 1st Assistant Director for Mr. Woody Allen on "Midnight in Paris".

I only had 4 weeks of preparation with Mr Allen for a 7 week shoot all filmed in Paris summer 2010 and i had no stress, he was kind, human and whatever he told me during preparation, he did on the shoot, just a wonderful person to work for.

What makes the French Riviera so special for events/productions?

Monaco & The French Riviera are known for their glamorous touch and elegance with their hotels, casinos, villas, yachts and coastal roads surrounded by beautiful views, private beaches and lagoons. In the winter, our great ski resorts and mountain roads are also available and have their own beauty only 1h30 from Nice airport. With 300 days of sun and a beautiful quality of light, the 4 seasons offer the possibility of filming by the sea, in the country side and on snowy roads in the winter...

What is your favourite movie and why?

The Big Blue directed by Mr Luc Besson, it unites both areas of life that i love, the sea & the film work around it...

 To reach or contact Gil:

gil@sharkprod.mc

www.sharkprod.com

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 PEOPLE:  Johanna Rossi of Cosmopolitan Restaurant in Monaco

Great food, a friendly hostess/owner with never-tiring energy making sure all guests leave satisfied, prompt and refreshingly un-French service and a lovely, well, 'comsopolitan' (!) atmosphere...means you have arrived at 'Cosmo', - as it is called by regulars.
Johanna Rossi is the owner (together with her husband) of this small , but fantastic eatery, which is located on the culinary strip just next to the Larvotto round-about. Neighbors include La Piazza, Mozza and Pulcinella.  Try the eclectic menu and yummy food yourself and pop in for lunch or dinner! It's a great place to start an evening out and surely a reliable lunch spot. Johanna also spices up the restaurant's agenda with little special nights (like Crispy Duck and Chinese Food on Monday nights) and events (charity dinners) on a regular basis.

Here we catch up with Johanna herself:

How long have you been living in Monaco and what brought you here?

I have been living in Monaco for almost 10 years now. My husband was born here. We met whilst studying at the same university in the UK.

Johanna Rossi of Cosmopolitan

Do you find Monaco easy to live with children, what are the disadvantages and advantages for living in Monaco with a family?

A lot of my clients ask me that question! Monaco is certainly a 'safe' place to bring up children, we don't have certain fears that other families live with. Obviously the climate isa huge advantage during the Winter months, my son is very active and loves being outdoors so I'm always happy to see the blue skies! On our days off it is also great to be able to get out of Monaco and have Italy and the French Riviera on our doorstep. One of the big disadvantages I find now is that Monaco becomes one big traffic jam on week days. It is dangerous navigating the traffic with a fast moving toddler, not to mention the pollution levels. I also think as my son gets older it will be important for him to travel and see more of the 'real world', Monaco is a bubble and I think it is important for children growing up to have some kind of 'reality check' in the big wide world.

  

You own and run a restaurant with your husband? Describe the place and menu?

Our restaurant takes after its name 'Cosmopolitan'. The menu and the place are about bringing together different people and tastes from around the world. There are so many different nationalities living in Monaco and we wanted Cosmopolitan to be a place where everyone would feel at home and find something that would be to their taste on the menu. Our menu has a Méditerranéen base as obviously we wanted to make the most of the fresh local produce, but we then picked out various signature dishes with Asian, Anglo-Saxon, Indian and Chinese backgrounds that we hoped would please our clients. Our 'top selling' dishes included our Crispy Aromatic Duck, Fish & Chips with Mushy Peas, Seared Tuna in a Sesame Crust and of course the Banoffee Pie! We also have  quite a diverse team consisting of French, English, Italian, Spanish and Argentinian origin so that is a great factor for the kitchen. We designed the interior of the restaurant ourselves and wanted it to be somewhere people would feel at home and relax. There are many constraints when designing a restaurant so sometimes your design decisions are made for you, we completely gutted the old restaurant and literally had to take the place back to a shell and start over, plumbing, electrics, the lot! 

What is your favourite restaurant in Monaco (other than Cosmo) and why?

The Japanese restaurant at the Maya Bay! It is the only restaurant I have eaten at in Monaco probably for about 2 years. If we eat out we usually end up in Italy. The Maya Bay

has it just right, excellent service, cleanliness, great design and most importantly good food,with no protention!

What is your favourite dish/recipe?

I love good honest food. Most importantly the produce you cook with must be fresh and in season! I don't have a favourite dish as it would be far to hard to choose. I love cooking and thankfully my husband loves eating!

 What are your hobbies and passions outside work?

I studied design all through my adolescence and twenties and obtained a first class honours in Interior Architecture...  Creating is my true passion, which is why I love cooking so much.

I 'make' when I can. You can see some of my work here : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-World-Little-Me/114408755303220 I have very little spare time but if I don't create, I

feel like something is missing. It is innate, I have a very active imagaination and putting 'pen to paper' is a therapy for me!

Contact Info:

COSMOPOLITAN
7 rue du Portier
98000 Monaco

t : +377 93 25 78 68
www.cosmopolitan.mc

Fish & Chips (as good as in UK)

Asian Carpaccio

The restaurant inside

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VIBEKE BRASK THOMSEN & GENDER HOPES

Raised in Monaco with Danish roots and a dash of Swiss upbringing, Vibeke Brask Thomsen has been working for the EU in the field of human security in Bruxelles. Today she lives full-time in Monaco, married to her British husband Russ and with daughter Alice. Vibeke, like many Monaco residents, travels a lot (both for work and with her family), but her 'home base' with family and friends clearly centers in Monaco. She is the founder of Gender Hopes and we have asked her a bit about herself and her new association which is based in Monaco:

You have grown up in Monaco but also lived in other countries,- what do you appreciate as main qualities about life in Monaco?

The main qualities I see in Monaco is the security it provides to its citizens. It is a great feeling to walk around safely during day and night, not being afraid of being attacked or having ones' car or purse stolen. Especially for a woman - and when having kids - this is priceless! Furthermore, and although it can be frustrating at times, I do like how small Monaco is: it is always easy to meet up with friends, to arrange a lunch or a play date, etc. It makes it easy to keep in touch and see your friends a lot, which is great. As this blog highlights, this small country also offers a lot of activities: many cultural events, from expositions and shows to conferences and concerts. In terms of nightlife, there are countless good restaurants and bars, making it a fun place to enjoy a good evening out. Finally - and it may sound obvious, but I really like the fact that Monaco is French-speaking! It makes me feel completely at home both culturally and linguistically. 

You are the founder of ‘Gender Hopes’? What made you found it? Describe its goals?

I decided to found GenderHopes after working several years in Bruxelles in the field of human security, arms control and international conflict. I have witnessed the specific damages that conflicts have on women, in terms of sexual, moral and physical violence. And such violence doesn't stop when the conflict ends, it often continues in the household, putting women and their children at extra risk. The objective of GenderHopes is to combat all forms of gender-based violence, both in conflict and in times of peace. Currently, GenderHopes is working on a project along with another Monaco association, Femmes Leaders, on domestic violence in Monaco. The objective is to research and analyze the current situation and the options for a woman who is the victim of violence. The project will run throughout 2012. In parallel, I write a number of articles on gender-based violence in order to raise awareness of the problem. GenderHopes also works with a partner organization in London - Make Every Woman Count - on researching and monitoring elections in Africa and the role of women in such elections. 

What does the future hold for women? Will our generation still live to see an end to violence against women?

I want to be optimistic and say that the future looks bright for women! I think unfortunately, we will not live to see the end of violence in general, including towards women, but that does not mean we should not work towards such goal! In the past 20 years, enormous progress has been made worldwide in terms of women's rights and participation: women can now vote in all the countries, the political and economic participation of women is at the center stage of countless policies and the number of women in decision-making positions is constantly increasing. Of course, progress is still needed: women still earn less than men in the same position, women still do the majority of the household chores, and women are still discriminated against in numerous everyday life situations. Furthermore, in several countries and regions worldwide, the rights and safety of women are being challenged everyday. We are currently witnessing the changes brought about by the Arab Spring and I do hope that this wind of change will also include more rights, especially in terms of political participation, for women. 

Do you think ALL women actually want equal rights and if not will future generations change their approach?

I believe that all people want to live free of violence and feel secure in their daily life, especially in their households. The question of equal rights would probably be challenged by numerous people, including women, in parts of the world, especially the Middle East. However, I do believe that equal rights such as the right to be free from violence, the right to food, to shelter, to chose one's partner, to raise one's own's children and to be economically independent if one so wishes, are shared by most people and should be enshrined in all legislations. Europe, for example, has witnessed tremendous change and improvements in the field of women's rights over the last 50 years, but progress is still needed. In the coming decades, however, we also need to center our efforts on women in developing countries. It is crucial that policy-makers understand the importance of the role of women and also the economic and social costs of gender-based violence. As such, it will be essential for developing countries to include women in the political, social and economic development of their country. 

For more information, please visit www.genderhopes.org and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/GenderHopes