"God of Carnage," the next GEDS production in English is being billed as " A comedy of manners.. without the manners!" This Tony Award best play will be performed on 5- 9 March at the Théâtre de l'Espérance in Geneva and tickets are now on sale. For booking details click here Synopsis of Play below (in English and French) God of Carnage Two sets of parents meet for a civilized, grown-up discussion about the outcome of their two boys having a playground fight and the result is a very funny black comedy which not only entertains, but sets us thinking about the veneer of good manners which society sets upon us all. Charles Slovenski has assembled the following talented cast to bring this modern hit vividly to life: Robert Bartram, Chaitan Jain, Viki Lazar, and Cécile Van de Voorde. First night patrons may enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbles in the company of the cast and crew. Le Dieu de Carnage Veronica et Michael Novak, parents du petit Henry, reçoivent chez eux Annette et Alan Raleigh, parents de Benjamin qui a frappé leur fils au visage dans un parc voisin, lui cassant ainsi deux dents. De bonne éducation, les deux couples ont décidé de cette entrevue afin de régler l'affaire avec civisme. Cependant, lorsque le vernis s’émaille et que la colère remplace la bienséance et la politesse de rigueur, chacun se montre en fin de compte très primaire. Dans leur florilège de pensées stéréotypées et sur fond de mauvaise foi parfois grossière, c’est un peu de nous que nous retrouvons dans ces bobos de Brooklyn… Pour interpréter ces duellistes, le metteur en scène, Charles Slovenski, a réuni une distribution exemplaire, chacun cherchant à creuser la singularité de son personnage dans cette comédie grinçante de Yasmina Reza (traduite par Christopher Hampton).

A reminder that "Les Hivernales", the rock and beat festival has begun and continues over the weekend in Nyon -see previous post here for more details and listen to an interview about the festival here Saturday March 2nd - Open Day at Lake Leman International School in Morges Open Day from 11:00 to 15:00 Meet the teachers and the LLIS management, discover the Primary and Secondary School and enjoy the day’s activities with your children. The open day starts at 11:00 at the school: From 11:00 to 12:00 Presentation of the website by the Secondary school students From 12:00 to 14:00 – Soccer practice From 13:30 to 14:15 - Story telling From 14:15 to 15:00 - Art workshop Snacks and drinks provided all day. LLIS School- Avenue de la Gottaz 34-36, 1110 Morges, Switzerland - See school website here Business and Professional Women Switzerland - Networking dinner Candlelight Ceremony & Networking dinner - Thursday, March 14 th 2013, at the Restaurant du Casino in Rolle This tradition is celebrated by all the BPW clubs around the world to remind them of the international solidarity and resources of the global association. It is an opportunity to discover what BPW has to offer. More details click here Host families required for "Up with People" March 18-25 Up with People is a global education and service programme focused on bringing the world together through service and music. The international cast of 120 students from 20 countries will be travelling to Geneva on March 18 for a one week stay. During their time in the area they will live with local host families, volunteer in the local community and perform 2 international shows at the Salle Communale de Versoix. Homes needed for 120 cast members Can you provide a place to sleep, breakfast and dinner and give limited transportation (outside of the centre of Geneva) in the mornings and evenings from March 18-25? If so, you’ll receive 2 complimentary tickets to the show for hosting. Photo above - the cast from a previous show - courtesy "Up with People" The 120-member cast is between the ages of 18 and 29 years old and represents 20 different countries. Cast members are out of the house during regular business hours, volunteering, rehearsing or taking part in educational workshops. Sunday March 24, is a ‘host family day,’ you may choose to show them , include them in a family event or simply relax at home. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Advance Team: Contact Katie Baudler at 079 155 37 13 or Katie.upwithpeople@gmail.com with questions or for more information. See the show ‘Voices’Salle Communale Lachenal à Versoix à 19:30 the 20th and 21st March. Tickets available now click here

We have been scouring other Swiss websites for a selection of news and articles that will interest Living in Nyon readers in our section called 1260+ (Nyon and beyond). Nyon News is at the end of this post Know it All Passport School holidays - Ûseful Dates - It's the school holidays in Geneva this week and the following two weeks will be holidays in Vaud. If you want to see a comprehensive calendar of all school holiday dates, check out the excellent "Holiday Calendar" on the Know it All Passport website. Click here Want to know what activities are on over the holiday period? Check out their activities calendar here. There are also some recommended Valentine Day choices in an article hereWorld Radio Switzerland - Interesting Radio Interviews Cold Spell - Interview Interview with meteorologist Lionel Fontannaz, from MeteoSwiss, about where this recent cold spell in Switzerland came from, and how long it will last (recorded Friday 8th February) Click here Kids in Mind - Programme Helping children deal with their worries - Click here Book about the Residents of Lausanne - Interview Interview with Laura Spinney, author of a book called Rue Centrale, which paints a portrait of Lausanne featuring interviews with 70 residents from all walks of life including bankers, prostitutes, train drivers, tango dancers, illegal immigrants an pillars of the community. Click hereDig it! - Gardening Programme - Click here Growing your own detox fruit, vegetable and herbs Lecture series in English at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Geneva Click hereGeneva Lunch Articles in English on Swiss Wines- Geneva Lunch Interested in knowing more about Swiss wines? The editor of Geneva Lunch has written many articles on Swiss wine under her blog called "Among the Vines" Click here Newly Swissed There's an amusing couples of posts on the website Newly Swissed - one called "A Lesson from Liechtenstein", and "33 more Signs that you are becoming Swiss" Swiss Info Article entitled "Swiss Roots - Home is where the Heart is"- Click hereNYON NEWS Paléo - New Stage - called "Les Arches" Read all about this new stage at Paléo, to be launched at the festival this year. The competition to name the new stage received over 8500 different suggestions! This new stage that will take the place of the Chapiteau. See diagrame below. Here are the results of the competition - 1. Scène des Arches: 2601 votes (36%), 2. Scène Woodstock : 2175 votes (30%), 3. Scène de la Dôle : 979 votes (14%), 4. Scène Bashung : 937 votes (13%), 5. Scène de l’Entrée : 488 votes (7%) More info on the Paléo website. Finally, don't forget the Living in Nyon column in English every Friday in La Côte newspaper. The paper for all your local news.

Looking for ideas of where to go and how to entertain children during the winter season? The following article, "Out and About this Winter" written by Tracey Keenan and Nadia Leone of "Ready.. Steady..Lausanne and Vaud!" suggests ski resorts, ice skating , tobogganing and snowshoeing options for families. The article also includes a couple of indoor entertainment options for children. Photo above: Tracey with her children on the ski slopes Tracey and Nadia both say - "Our clients appreciate the personal and customised service that we offer when settling in to the region, but the main ingredient to our success is that the information we give is based on the fact that “we have been there, done that and got the T-shirt!” As they are both keen on the outdoor life in Switzerland and they have taken their children onto the ski slopes from the age of three, they are well placed to give advice. Read on for some great tips, suggestions and places to go with the family this winter. Click on the words highlighted in blue to link to the websites of the places mentioned. Ski Resorts Tracey says "There are plenty of places to try out skiing or snowboarding and many resorts have diversified their options, offering snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowtubing, ice skating, curling, husky-dog trips etc. Here are a few of our favourites below. Tip : If you are not planning on a taking a whole week's vacation, make the most of Wednesday afternoons (a free afternoon in Swiss schools), and keep in mind that Saturdays tend to be quieter than Sundays, both on the slopes and on the motorways due to "changeover day". La Givrine Nadia says: "La Givrine (in the St. Cergue area) is ideal for young children and beginners. We recommend you take the little red train (Nyon-St. Cergue-Givrine) which takes you directly to the slopes. There is a nice café “buvette” available called La Trelasse (click here) 022 360 12 89). This can be found in the middle of the slopes next to the Swiss ski school. It has a nice atmosphere and seats 70 people, has mountain-style décor with log fire. Another nice restaurant is Restaurant de la Givrine which is located at the arrival of the train from Nyon and a 10-minute walk from the slopes. Tip: IKEA bags are great for carrying all your children’s ski equipment! St. Cergue is a larger ski area and does tend to get busy St. George is another small resort and is ideal for little ones to learn and practise skiing. Further afield If you prefer larger resorts, there’s a whole bunch of them in the Alpes Vaudoises , such as Les Mosses, Les Diablerets, Villars, Leysin, Chateaux d’Oex . Note: Children receive a free ski pass and accommodation up to nine years old with the GoKids Family Club . There is more infrastructure in these resorts provided for families such as babysitters on hand - perfect if you want to ski with your older child and you have a toddler or baby to keep happy too. Tip: Look out for resorts with the Families Welcome Label, these are places which specialise in catering for families (e.g. family hotels, child-friendly restaurants, playgrounds, childcare facilities) Ice Skating: Most ice rinks are open from October to March and you can find rinks in many places: Versoix, Coppet, Nyon, Gland, Morges, Lausanne. However, a very special place is the Lac de Joux. At 1000m altitude, when the lake freezes, you are allowed to go and walk or skate on the ice - a wonderful experience! We recommended you drive to a nice little town called Le Pont and park there. You can hire ice skates and boots (closed Sundays and Monday morning). There is also a small ski area in L’Abbaye. Note: check snow conditions due to the low altitude of this area. Tobogganing: Tracey says: "I tried a super place for the first time last winter with my two boys the Tobogganing Park in Leysin. This is a great little trip to do for the morning or the afternoon, combined with lunch out in the Snow Village at the Park or further up in the resort. You need to reserve a time slot in advance on the day you wish to go (click here, the site is in English) . This then allows you to have an hour and fifty minutes in the park with a limited number of people. Tip : make sure you arrive 30 minutes before the start of your slot to give you time to collect your ticket and get ready! There are varying levels of slopes so it’s ideal for mixed-aged children as well as brave parents. If you prefer to just watch, there is a viewing stand and it is easy to keep an eye on your children (above 6 years ) and watch them whizz down the slopes - the park is very well contained. For little ones under 6 there is a mini area with a limit of one hour from the time you purchase your ticket. Snowshoeing: Nadia - This season we will definitely go back for our family’s snowshoeing excursion which we tried out in January this year – but this time we will try it during the daytime. We drove to the “Col du Mollendruz” where you will find the shop with rental equipment. We rented snowshoes and set off at about 17:00 h for a thirty minute walk to the Chalet du Mollendruz (1250m altitude – open Wed-Sun from December to March). After our cheese fondue and dessert, we set off back to our starting point, torches in hand – what a wonderful experience! Recommended for children from 6 years old , there is a possibility to rent out baby-carriers and pulkas. The family who runs the small rental equipment shop are very helpful. The Chalet restaurant itself is quite small, so it is best to reserve your table in advance: Chalet du Mollendruz, 1344 L’Abbaye, Tel: 021 864 3027 or 078 794 7327. And if you really don't like the cold and snow, why not try these following places Bernaqua Waterpark & Spa During the recent Autumn school holidays, I went to Bernaqua Waterpark with my two older children (11 and 8 years of age). We had a great half-day there. The children had lots of fun on four toboggans and they got to watch a film from inside the pool. Meanwhile I was able to relax in the Jacuzzi and different thermal waters. We ate blinis in our swimming gear at the small bar ! My only little regret was that I had not brought my little 2-year old with me, because he would have had fun in the water jets and the "pirate" swimming pool which is especially designed for the little ones. However he will get his chance before the Christmas break, when I plan to visit the Westside Shopping Centre which is where the water park and spa is located. This place makes a great day-out for the whole family and shopping with or without children. The shopping centre has a childcare facility called “Kinderland” for children from 0-8 years. Exit 32 Bern Brunnen on the A1 motorway. Indoor playground: Urba Kids in Orbe Guaranteed fun for children from 2-10 years of age. This playground is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 09:00- 18:00. Tracey Keenan, is an English ex-pat based in Lausanne. Nadia Leone was born and raised in Lausanne. Both of them provide settling-in assistance to newcomers to the region with private consultations and in-house seminars. Both have children in the local school system. Their combined experience of moving to Switzerland as an ex-pat and their local knowledge and contacts help their clients get a real head start settled into the Vaud region. See their website here.

Photo above - from Swiss Press Photo 2012 exhibition in Prangins. Courtesy - Château de Prangins Here are a couple of selection of music events coming up this weekend in Nyon. Also on the 28th Feb, it's the start of Les Hivernales music festival in venues around the town- see website here (more on this on this site soon). Friday 15th Feb "Less is Groove.", the Lausanne based hip hop, soul group are due to play at the Usine a Gaz in Nyon tonight Friday 15th February - Doors open 21:00. Concert at 21:30 See the band's own website to hear their music. CHF 15 entry. See Usine for Saturday night music. Over at the Parenthèse in the old town of Nyon, the band "Featherlike" are on the line up for tonight 15th Feb. See their website here and to listen to their single "Moon Over Berlin". Free entry. Photo below - courtesy "Featherlike". . Photo Exhibition - Temporary Exhibition finishes on the 24th February The Swiss Press Photo 2012 Exhibition continues in the Chateau de Prangins until the 24th Feb. This exhibition presents the best works of Swiss press photographers to the public. An international jury will name the best photographs in six different categories, as well as a winning image. Around 90 photos on the topics of Current Events, Sport, Portrait, Foreign, Everyday and Environment, Art and Culture will be shown. The other main exhibition in the castle " C'est la Vie" - Swiss Press photography since 1940, continues until the 19th May. For full details see website here.

It's "Open House" at the Conservatoire of Nyon on the 16th March from 10:00 to 12:30. Its a good opportunity to discover the courses that this prestigious music academy runs during the year for both children and adults. The Conservatoire is set right along Nyon's lake side. There are also courses run in Morges (open day on Sat 23rd March). See COV site.

"Dyana Mini Market" - by Florian Devigne Here's another film review from Trish Thalman who says; “Although this film has already been screened at the festival, it is worthwhile to know about this sparkling, gem-of-a-film for future viewing" Mr. And Mrs. Kamlanathan , originally from Sri Lanka, have recently met with financial hard luck, and were evicted, along with their 3 children, from their previous accommodation. They now live, laugh, sleep, socialise and love each other as a family, along with the cats (Simba, their beloved dog has just died), in one tiny, cramped back room of the Dayana Mini Market somewhere in Paris. The shop is named after their teen-age daughter, who has dreams of a larger, glossier life than she is currently living. This joyful, humorous, eye-catching production is an insightful film by Floriane Devigne, that happily provides us with the human condition related to integrating and surviving in a new country, by using one's wits and energy ( physical and spiritual), to get on with life, regardless of the situation. Mother is the tough-ish disciplinarian, excellent cook and money-minded business woman working her files and dealing with the piles of incoming bills. She decides how the money, or lack of it, is spent. Father is the operations manager who runs the market out front. The parents constantly affirm their love to their children, but insist that they learn and understand the need to study and work hard. The children help out in the market when not at school or studying. Captivating colourful mini-sequences When things become unsettled for members of the family and a moment of dreaming or fantasy becomes necessary, we are gifted surprising sequences of song, dance and animation that 'pop-up' throughout the film which offers everyone the chance to trip the light-fantastic. The captivating, colourful mini-sequences in the ‘Bollywood’ style capture the lively traditions and entertainment known to the parents in their country of birth. Their children are familiar with this world as well. The parents retain their transitioning, Asian way of life, but on a daily basis learn to accept the traditions of France through their children, ie: New Year’s Eve in the French mode: a tower of champagne glasses that are filled with the overflow from the glass at the top. Traditions and technology: A religious, incense-filled ceremony at the local temple to ensure the spirit of Simba ends up in a better place in which a large, framed photo of black Labrador wearing a pair of sunglasses is placed on the altar. Dayana gleefully receives a Kindle for her birthday, meanwhile a TV screen with the 9 CCTV camera views of the shop glows 24 hours a day in the back room for the family to keep an eye on the customers. In one scene Dayana enters a contest to become 'Miss Sri Lanka of France', with some mildly gruff protests from mother concerned about the cost for the event (clothes, makeup, jewelry, etc. etc.). There is even another ‘Bollywood Moment’ during the pageant, when Dayana dances and sings a song referring to herself as ‘Lady Di’ (as in Day) and delights herself, as well as the cinema audience, by leaving no question as to what her aspirations are for the future. She does not win the contest this year. But we have met a family who are lively, loving, noisily and personable. Even if they are physically squashed into the tiniest living space in the back room, their expansive hopes and dreams for a better life are not diminished.

Our second film review comes from writer Trish Thalman, who says this is a "poignant and sensitive film with moments of humour and candour" A film focusing on residents of an apartment building in Lausanne, people dealing with dirty laundry every day, physically and metaphorically. "The Laundry Room" -" La Clè de la Chambre à Lessive" by Floriane Devigne and Frédéric Florey Saturday 20 April at 14:00 - Salle Communale and Sunday 21 April at 19:30 - Capitole 1 cinema (72 mins) Link to buying tickets for this film on line here "Claudina" holds the key!" In this case, the key to the communal laundry room of a low-rent apartment building in Lausanne. The inhabitants of the building are a mixture of people from Switzerland and various other countries and make up the Swiss ‘underclass’. The laundry room of the building is the size of a small storage room, in a clean and tidy, ground floor entrance area. It holds four washers and four dryers, and the door is locked. It is next to the elevator where people wait patiently for it to arrive. When it does arrive, it disgorges a number of people at one time. There is much activity throughout the day in the foyer, with the coming-and-going of the inhabitants. The new cleaning woman for the building is Claudina, a bright and lively woman who says that cleaning is hard work and not a terrific job. She is responsible for managing access to the laundry room. In the past, the laundry room did not operate according to any set rules and mostly there was chaos, arguments and a rogue key that kept getting "lost". Now Claudina will make an attempt at order with times and dates set for everyone to do his or her washing (“people need to follow rules”). A white board with a colour code is designed and hung on the laundry room wall. We see that there is confusion and misunderstanding about how ‘the rules’ will work. Everyone has an opinion of how the rules should operate, mostly related to what suits them the best. Residents sometimes don't have the money to pay to do the laundry Daily life goes on among the residents of the building. The police arrive. A recently single man is told he has to move to a smaller apartment (what shall he do with the furniture?) , a woman expresses her ambitions to work for Rolex (until she learns their workrooms are not in Lausanne). One day Claudina wonders why the people scheduled for the washing day have not come to use the laundry room. It is because that week they do not have the money to pay to do the laundry. The parade of colourful characters who spend time in the foyer ranges from a boisterous, edgy woman who doesn’t want her dirty laundry to be on TV (pointing to the security camera ‘eye’ in the laundry room), two young 'wanna-be' hip-hopsters in outlandish, trashy 'bling', four young girls posing and preening for the camera while engaging Claudina in a discussion about religion, and a sad, squabbling woman who quotes Zola and Jacques Brel when arguing with nearly everyone, especially Claudina. All are dealing with dirty laundry every day, physically and metaphorically. This is a poignant and sensitive film, with moments of humour and candour, patience and anxiety, along with the daily noise of washing machines and dryers. Trish says "I particularly enjoyed the film, as I have learned to “follow rules’ for the laundry room in the apartment building where I live. The key to the door was ‘lost’ a few years ago. The door is open all the time. A piece of paper is taped on the door with the names of who washes what day and what time. The system can work!" Photo below - Trish Thalman

Cesar's Grill - Dario Aguirre screening today at the Capitole cinema 2 at 20:00 Buy tickets on line here The director of the film Cesar's Grill - Dario Aguirre is living happily in Germany until his father asks him to return to Ecuador. His restaurant and grill is close to bankruptcy. Aguirre, who has meanwhile become a vegetarian, gets involved with the ailing family business. What happens next is the main premise of the film and it's a fascinating and very personal story. We see Aguirre go through a whole gamut of emotions, sadness, laughter, and frustration at being back in his home country and we the audience are taken along with him. He suggests to his father that if he opened the business at an earlier time of day he may attract more customers, he creates an Excel spread sheet for accounting purposes, he even suggests that his father should buy food from a wholesale market not a retail one, all to no avail. His father is stuck in his ways of doing business and nothing will change his mind despite mounting debts. A snapshot of life in Ecuador From the opening humorous shot in this film of a customer in a barber chair's in Ecuador, this film sets the tone of what's to come, it is beautifully filmed and engaging from the start. Occasionally interspersed with Aguirre's own music, (he plays the guitar), he sings out some of his frustrations to camera, these add an interesting touch to the film. We also get to see a snapshot of life in Ecuador - Aguirre and his family sweeping up layers of ash after a nearby volcano has erupted, the celebrations for New Year near to the family home, the customers in the restaurant. Aguirre conducts a bit of market research with them and asks them what improvements they would like to see in the business " Faster service would help" says one, "More space in the dining area" says another. Aguirre talks to his father about knocking a wall down in the dining area to create more space, when they then speak to a workman about it and Aguirre asks, "but is it safe to knock down this wall?, the workman replies "I don't know, we will just have to see what happens", this got a big laugh from the Swiss audience watching the film, an audience presumably used to perfect construction techniques with nothing left to chance. When Aguirre travels to the countryside with his father to learn more about his father's childhood to get to know him more, they travel through beautiful scenery, giving another fascinating glimpse into the country. Cesar's Grill is a lovely film, well worth watching. It gives off a warm glow long after the flames have died down. This film is entered into the "Etat D'Esprit" category of this film festival. A film that does indeed lift your "spirit".

Decorated Fountains Around Nyon Walking around Nyon, you might have seen one of the numerous decorated fountains across town. A local tradition, the fountains are decorated each year at Easter by local schools, groups and shops, for the pleasure of all. A “treasure hunt” is organised around these fountains: each fountain has a sign with part of a word written on it. If you go round town and discover all of the fountains, you will be able to find the mystery sentence, and win one of three prizes given by the local shops! This game is organised by the Nyon tourism office, and is a great way of getting to know the town, and the many beautiful fountains that riddle it, as well as discovering the creative decorations that transform each fountain into a work of art! Is Spring Here At Last? After Thursday's terrible weather, we might doubt such a thing, but walking around town on Wednesday, appreciating the sun shining, it seemed like Spring is just around the corner- after what is apparently the coldest month of March in 26 years! The temperature hasn't risen over 19° this month- with a maximum of minus 4° measured in St-Gallen this Tuesday! Something that hasn't been seen since 1987. But the flowers that are blooming all over town and the budding trees look like messengers of an approaching Spring- let's hope so anyway! (Even though according to the weather reports, it doesn't look like the temperatures are going to rise...) Looking For an Easter Celebration in the Nyon Area? You can find two English-speaking churches in the Nyon area, one in Nyon and one in Gingins where you will be able to celebrate Easter with other English speakers. Different activities are organised by both churches around Easter for all ages. Check out their websites for more information! Here for Westlake Church in Nyon, and here for the Anglican Church in Gingins. Tulip Festival in Morges Starts This Friday Every year the Tulip festival takes place in Morges. Over 120'00 tulips of 300 different varieties are brought together in the Parc de l'Independance in Morges for 6 weeks. A series of events are organised around this festival, including a brunch on Monday the 1st of April. This festival is one of the first open-air events of the year, and animations take place during the weekends in the park. Note that the first tulips will bloom mid April. For the whole program, look here. Looking For a New Game to Discover? Have you heard of the Ludothèque in Nyon? This is a toy library based in the corner of the Place Perdtemps in Nyon. With a huge collection of toys and games for all age groups, this is the perfect place to go to discover a new game. Special workshops and events are also organised for kids and for adults (including a adult-only games night on the 19 th of April). You need to be a member to borrow games. All the information regarding opening hours, events and membership can be found here. La Venezia Open For the Season Last but not least, La Venezia , Nyon's Italian style gelateria situated on the lakeside (near the Quai 23) will be opening this weekend for the season. They have opened on the last two weekends, and will be open regularly from this weekend onwards. Treat yourself to delicious home-made ice cream, with loads of interesting flavours (for the adventurous, try the amazing chocolat delire ( ie chocolate madness), dark chocolate with chilli).

A selection of events coming up in Nyon and further afield Nyon La Roulotte (the temporary summer (café behind the railway station) will open this Sunday at 15:00. More info on this café to come on this site. Bring an instrument to play for the opening party! Music - 19th April 20:30 The 1306 Club in Nyon will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a performance by Djinbala - Gypsy, folk music . Full details see here MiscellaneousDog Walker available Animal lover available for dog walking in the Gland and Nyon area - Contact Kamille 022-566-7497Building your Brand - One day workshop in Lausanne and Geneva Learn the art of developing strong, compelling brands and delivering effective communications. For more information on the course and the instructors see here Jamming in Eysins - Date for the diary The Jamaican Association in Switzerland presents the 9th Annual Party on Saturday in Eysins (near Nyon) on May 11th 20:00 to 01:00. Delicious Jamaican meals will be served. Jamaican Music Prizes and Surprises in favour of Schools in Jamaica. Contact 079 842 55 92 or 078 601 3950 Further Afield Lunchtime talk -"Challenges facing contemporary Islam and the implications for business and commerce" British Swiss Chamber of Commerce Business Luncheon with Dr Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University - Time magazine has twice recognized Ramadan: first in 2000, naming him one of the world's top 100 innovators of the 21st Century, and again, in 2004, as one of the world's top 100 most influential intellectuals. May 3rd in Geneva 11:45- 14:00 See here for full details Theatre - Genev a "Molloy" by Samuel Beckett Friday, April 26 at 19:30. A a revival of "Molloy" by Samuel Beckett, directed by Judy Hegarty-Lovett. This play has won huge acclaim around the world for the Gare St. Lazare Players (who have not been to Geneva for a while). Some of the critics comments below The Sunday Times “Striking...How at ease he (Lovett) seems in such a hallowed role...the gentle deadpan delivery brings out the casual genius” Time Out (London) “Lovett delivers...with a beautiful haziness which perfectly accommodates the absurd one-liners...RECOMMENDED” The Independent (UK) “Lovett's astonishing performance…completely inhabits the sound and spirit of Beckett's work.” The Irish Times “Outstanding...Perfect...Kill to get a ticket” The Scotsman bookings@theglas.org Tickets CHF 30 and CHF 20 for students/unemployed. Venue: AULA, College des Coudriers, 15a Avenue Joli Mont (opposite Balexert en route to airport) Brits in Business- Elevator Pitches - Tuesday 16 April 18:00. 20:00 See here for more details

This next film review comes from New Zealand writer Emma Johnson. Emma says this film is "strangely moving". This film is set in Lithuania. The "father" in this film is widely known as the father of the mafia due to his criminal exploits, he also lives with his eleven children and his purpose is to become the oldest father in Europe and to have as many children as he can. Tevas (Father), Marat Sargsyan Next screening today Sunday 21 April, Capitole 2 at 18:00. Link the buy tickets online for this film here. Marat Sargsyan's documentary, (Father), provides an intimate portrait of Vidas Zenonas Antonovas within the context of the relatively vast realm of his family in the Lithuanian countryside. While he is more widely known as 'the father of the mafia' due to his criminal exploits, which include extortion and highjacking a plane, this film explores another aspect of his identity - that of the patriarch of a large family, which he and his wife are determined to expand. Longevity and progeniture! It is Vidas's day-to-day life that is intriguing, a domestic and pastoral world far removed from his previous one of crime. This everyday living sits somewhere between the ordinary and extraordinary, due to the unusual domestic circumstances. Vidas lives with his eleven children and his purpose (or perhaps obsession is a better word) is to become the oldest father in Europe and to have as many children as he can. He tells the director that he hopes to outdo his grandfather, who had 18 kids. The opening shot of the film shows Vidas washing his new born son. This is an apt introduction as it is this juxtaposition of youth and possibility against age that we see throughout the documentary. The energy of the children running around the house, fighting and playing highlights both his age and his play against time. One of the children remark, 'He's not a criminal anymore, he's old'. 'And muscular' another one adds. Yet his move away from crime and towards longevity through progeniture make him a rebel nonetheless – one who challenges time and age. This is further seen in the intimate shots of Vidas exercising and shadow boxing alone, keeping himself in shape in a small room which he locks, so that he can enjoy moments of respite from all the children who seek him out regularly. 'Men can still have babies at 100', Vidas explains, 'if they look after their bodies well'. A world unto itself A whole private world is contained within the family, which Sargsyan opens up to us and invites us into via intriguing episodes and events that follow both seasonal and familiar rhythms. Vidas reenacts one his arrests by having his children play the authorities, instructing them to capture him and say 'Eat soil bandit'. While archival footage of his arrests and time in prison are interspersed through the film and provide the necessary contrast that renders his current life so interesting, this familial reenactment provides depth and ties in his history to his current way of life in a way that the other footage does not. It is strangely moving. is intimate and inviting due to Sargsyan's ability to capture such a private world – from Vidas as Father Christmas bringing presents to the kids, to the family bathing in the river or sleeping in the numerous beds throughout the house, or all the children lining up to get hot chocolate and yoghurt. This familiarity allows us to appreciate that Vidas's evolution from father of a crime family to the father of a his own enormous family and highlights how life does not often turn out how one might expect. Photo - writer Emma Johnson.