On Wednesday, a unique short film will be showcased at the Théâtre des Variétés, documenting local photographer’s interpretation of Monaco’s intense period during the Covid pandemic.
“Poetic, moving, and disconcerting clips” make up this fascinating film created by MonacoVisions’, a Monegasque association that brings together photographers and filmmakers aged from 10 to 92 years, all united in their passion for pictures.
Titled ‘Confinement, deconfinement’, the short film screening will take place on Wednesday 20th October at 6.30pm.
From March 2020 to the present, the film explores the visions of lockdown, the Principality’s re-opening, and the subsequent return to lockdown.
It features footage of an empty, silent Monaco, artistic clips that show this most unusual time in a new light. It also has interviews with young people talking about the health crisis that directly impacted their lives, as well as original music.
Rampoldi celebrates 75 years with huge birthday bash
Prince Albert joined in the 75th anniversary celebrations of Rampoldi on the weekend, one of the Principality’s oldest restaurants and “a part of Monaco’s history”.
For three quarters of a century, Rampoldi has been an emblem of Monte-Carlo’s fascinating lifestyle, welcoming the Princely family and Monegasque personalities into its warm embrace.
Since 2016, Chef Antonio Salvatore has been at the helm, keeping this Monegasque institution on its path of producing fresh, Italian cuisine using iconic produce from southern Italy and scents of the Mediterranean.
On Saturday 16th October, guests were invited to celebrate the important milestone with Chef Salvatore and his team. The gold-speckled champagne flowed as the chef welcomed Prince Albert to the celebration, presenting him with a copy of the Rampoldi book published in commemoration of the restaurant’s 75 years.
Prince Albert thanked the crowd for “celebrating this wonderful place that is a part of Monaco’s history.”
Chef Antonio Salvatore presents Prince Albert with the book commemorating 75 years of Rampoldi during Saturday night’s celebrations, photo by Monaco Life
With its Carrara marble, Murano lighting, crystal chandeliers and mirrored arches, Rampoldi has “just the right amount of Monegasque bling-bling”, according to the coveted Michelin Guide.
In 2021, La Table d’Antonio Salvatore, located underneath Rampoldi, was awarded its first Michelin star just a year after opening, marking a new chapter in the restaurant’s history.
Top photo by Monaco Life
Interview: The artful eye of Sabrina Monteleone-Oeino
A flair for fabric surely courses through the veins of Sabrina Monteleone-Oeino, the founder and CEO of Sabrina Monte Carlo… her mother was a seamstress and her father a tailor.
Founded in 1999, Sabrina Monte-Carlo is the go-to interior design studio for anyone (or yacht) looking to add a touch of ‘je ne sais quoi’ to their interior or outside spaces. The company has three showrooms in Monaco and another at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat which had a brand new makeover in May this year. Each offers a selection of luxury furniture, fabrics, tableware and accessories and are the kind of places design devotees might hope to go when they die. Sabrina Monte-Carlo was founded by Monteloene Oeino in 1999.
A purebred Monégasque, Sabrina Monteleone-Oeino studied fashion and business and began a retail career selling luxury clothing brands such as Burberry, Alberta Ferretti and Valentino here in Monaco.
She then branched out into selling outdoor furniture and that move is where her artful eye and talent for design began to bear fruit. She says, “I always enjoyed the world of interior design and when I looked at the outdoor furniture on terraces, at villas or on board yachts, I thought it looked very basic. So, I started selling a range of outdoor furniture and moved on from there to interiors selling fabric, table decoration and now children’s furniture since November 2020.” So, she started outside and then went in. The range spans the length and breadth of every corner of home or garden.
Says Monteleone, ‘When we opened the kids boutiques last year our customers loved them. It gave them a chance to escape into the make-believe after a difficult year. In fact, we have been decorating and furnishing nurseries for some time but only our customers who asked us to create children’s rooms knew about it. It’s a niche market in furniture and there are not many boutiques that do it. Much of our furniture is custom made and created in our workshops.’
Photo by Yvan Grubski
Inspiration comes from the design team’s imagination: steamship desks, dolls house wardrobes, little drawing tables. She adds, “We’ve also created a collection of custom designed headboards for beds, things like princess castles, helicopters or fire-engines. The headboards are best sellers, not many people do them.”
Sabrina Monteleone-Oeino is also well known for her talent in styling deck areas and yacht interiors, and she has notched around 150 yacht interiors including the likes of Kismet, Silver Fast, and the 70m Skat. The style and taste of the work she does onboard the boats depend, of course, on the owners’ tastes, and are all very different she explains.
Sabrina Monte-Carlo helped create the laid back Mediterranean atmosphere on board the recently launched 60m MY Cloud 9 with a spray of colourful cushions, coral sculptures and Lalique vases on the main deck.
Photo by Yvan Grubski
The company also selected and designed the outdoor theme and furniture at the Gala for Planetary Health 2021, memorably attended by Sharon Stone in that perfect puff of purple.
Says Monteleone-Oeino, “I am so into really light tones at the moment, like ‘off-white’, ‘plaster’, or ‘bone’ combined with really cosy, warm fabrics. I would say my favourite design style is contemporary/cosy with a touch of colour and beautiful artwork.”
And her favourite design period? “I adore the 60’s. The ‘pop’ colours and wallpaper patterns. I am also using a lot of fabrics with flower and parasol patterns at the moment. Right now, we are really into designing games rooms in private residences – that’s where we can really let our imagination take hold and create fabulous worlds of fantasy.”
The 30-strong team of Sabrina Monte-Carlo has evolved into very much a family affair: Sabrina’s sister Sophie heads up the interior design crew and her two daughters, Manola and Carla, are respectively interior and graphic designers.
For readers who feel somewhat lacking in the art of bringing glamour to a table, or into every possible corner of the home, Monteleone-Oeino gives the following advice: “You need to create a story. Accessorise, for example, your table with napkin rings, vases and ornaments all based on a particular theme.”
She recommends a common thread, a harmony, to the story you are creating. “Add touches of colour, artworks, beautiful fabrics, plants, flowers – add life!”
Monaco-based Boutsen Aviation has reached a significant milestone, sealing a symbolic deal marking the 400th aircraft sold to date – a stunning Dassault Falcon 7X.
Now off to France, this heavy jet is the 37th Falcon sold by Boutsen Aviation and the 17th Falcon 7X. “It’s especially pleasing that the 400th transaction is a Dassault tri-jet destined for a prestigious French client and its esteemed partners,” said Dominique Trinquet, President of Boutsen Aviation.
The majority of Boutsen Aviation’s 400 transactions have been carried out worldwide over the last few years, so this French sale marks a return to the roots for the company. The milestone is the result of 24 years of hard work, during which Boutsen Aviation has seen its reputation grow and its relationships with industry partners strengthen.
“It began with a dream in 1997 and we have so much to be thankful for as we celebrate our 400th aircraft sold today,” said Chairman and Founder Thierry Boutsen. “We owe a huge thanks to all our customers, partners and friends who have trusted us and helped make it possible for us to reach such a milestone. I would also like to thank every member of our team, their passion for performance is just exceptional. We are now highly anticipating when we will get to celebrate the next one!”
Only three years ago, the company celebrated its 350th aircraft sold, so it is testament to Boutsen Aviation for hitting this new milestone, especially during these uncertain times. The company says it has managed to overcome several downturns in 24 years of business thanks to the combined efforts of the whole team.
“We are proud of it, but it’s not a question of numbers, it’s about getting the most out of every transaction we have overseen for over 20 years,” said Mr. Trinquet. “Our primary role is to ensure that each transaction closes smoothly for the satisfaction of all parties. This requires a great deal of experience, a mastery of all the different aspects of a transaction, whether it is legal, technical, operational, compliance… and that’s not forgetting the human factors.
“This is what we have developed with the Boutsen Aviation team over the years. The experience we have acquired allows us to overcome each and every obstacle of a transaction (and there are many) so that at some point, as if by magic, a button is pressed to make a new owner happy as well as the seller.”
Monaco received new Ambassadors on Thursday from the countries of Madagascar, Gabon, Switzerland and Turkey in a luncheon ceremony held at the Hermitage Hotel.
Minister of External Relations and Cooperation Laurent Anselmi welcomed Olivier Rija Rajohnson, Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar, Liliane Massala, Ambassador of the Gabonese Republic, Roberto Balzaretti, Ambassador of Switzerland and Refik Ali Onaner, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey, on 14th October.
A lunch was served at the Hermitage Hotel after they met with Prince Albert II to present their Letters of Credence, the formal diplomatic letter that designates a diplomat as ambassador to another sovereign state.
Olivier Rija Rajohnson has worked for nearly four decades in the private sector in various fields such as banking, fruit export and tourism. He became Permanent Advisor to the Prime Minister of Madagascar at the end of the 1980s, then he was Minister of Water and Forests from 1997 to 2002. Afterward, he became Chief of Staff to the President from 2011 to 2014. In 2020, he was appointed Ambassador and accredited to France as well as to the Holy See.
Liliane Massala worked for the economic and social development of Gabon by creating in particular the Franco-American Academy of Management, the International Institute of Advanced Education and Training for Training in Digital Professions and the Christine Bahati Foundation for the Well-being, Health and Education of Young People and Women. From 1987 to 2012, she held the positions of Advisor and Deputy Director in the Cabinet of the President of the Gabonese Republic, before being appointed Secretary General of several Ministries from 2012 to 2020. Appointed Ambassador in 2020, she is also Permanent Representative to of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
Joining the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in 1991, Roberto Balzaretti held several positions there before being appointed Secretary General in 2008 and then Jurisconsult. At the same time, he headed the Swiss Mission to the European Union from 2012 to 2016 and was appointed in 2018 Director of European Affairs and coordinator of all negotiations with the European Union for his country.
Refik Ali Onaner worked in several Turkish Departments and Ministries before taking up the post of Counsellor to the Permanent Delegation of Turkey to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 2006 to 2010. He continued his career at the Turkish Embassy in Paris, again as Counsellor then becoming Minister-Counsellor from 2012 to 2017. He then returned to Turkey and was appointed Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ankara. Appointed Ambassador in 2019, he was first accredited to Tunisia before coming to Monaco.
Photo by Michael Alessi, Government Communication Department
AS Monaco put forth a gallant effort but couldn’t quite take it over the line for the win against Real Madrid at the WiZink Centre Wednesday night. The final score was 86 to 94.
The Roca Team were not on their best form on Wednesday night when they faced off against Real Madrid in a tough Turkish Airlines EuroLeague match on the road. There were some magic moments, but all-in-all, the team was outclassed by their opponents, giving them something to strive for this season.
The starting line-up was strong, made up of Paris Lee, Mike James, Danilo Andjusic, Donatas Motiejunas, and Jerry Boutsiele.
Madrid took the lead from the start, with the Roca team falling behind an astonishing one to 13. Andjusic stopped the haemorrhaging with a three-pointer followed by another two-pointer on its heels. This did nothing to deter Madrid, who took control again and in two minutes and widened the lead to six to 25.
They bounced back a bit in the second quarter, outscoring Madrid 27 to 21, but this still sent them into the locker room behind 39 to 51.
The second half saw the fire return to AS Monaco and they slowly began to claw their way out of the hole. Most of the third quarter, the two teams went head-to-head on shots, keeping Monaco within striking distance.
Mike James took the proverbial bull by the horns and scored a massive 14 points on his own in the third, bring the score to 65 to 72.
In the final quarter, Monaco managed to even things up, but the Spaniards were too good. In the end, the score sat at 86 to 94 – respectable considering how far they had to come to get there.
Monaco made 30 shots out of 63 on the night going 13 for 30 in three-point range. They captured 29 rebounds, made 22 assists, stole the ball nine times and picked up 10 strays.
Mike James was high scorer with an incredible 24 points, Donta Hall was next up with 12, followed by Will Thomas with 11.
The Roca boys return on Friday at 7pm for more EuroLeague action against Barcelona at Salle Gaston Médecin.
Photo by Manuel Vitali/Communication Department. Written by Monaco Life with press release
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