The Globalist – "The Year in Culture"

Monocle Radio | December 25, 2025 | Hosted by Chris Cermak
Special holiday edition featuring film, theater, festive markets, and wine

Episode Overview

In this festive Christmas Day special, Monocle’s editors and cultural correspondents gather for a light-hearted yet insightful rundown of the year's cultural highlights. The episode weaves through lively discussions about favorite holiday and recent films, the resurgence of theater (especially in London), festive markets in Paris, and expert wine recommendations for the season and New Year. The tone is cheerful and convivial, perfect for listeners seeking both cultural insight and holiday company.

Film: Holiday Picks & 2025 Standouts

(Segments: 02:10–11:17)

Holiday Movie Debate

• Host Chris Cermak, film correspondent Fernando Augusto Pacheco, and critic Karen Krasanovich dive in with their favorite festive films.
• Chris’s Pick:
  • Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (03:05)
  • “There was a great documentary out about [John Candy] this year, which I really loved and is one of my favorites of the holidays as well. Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Although it is from Thanksgiving, but still it counts as a holiday.”
• Fernando’s Pick:
  • Gremlins “As soon as you said holiday film, the first thing that came to my mind was Gremlins... And you know what? Although I'm tired of all those reboots...Gremlins is coming back...” (03:44–04:16)
  • Champions the underappreciated Gremlins 2: “Can I be really honest here? I think it's as good as the first one.” (04:11)
• Karen’s Pick:
  • The perennial Die Hard
  • “Every generation has its own Christmas movies... And then, of course, you have people like me who say Die Hard...” (04:20)
  • Karen jokes about German sentiment: “it's not popular in Germany because we feel sorry for our Hans. And Hans Gruber did not want to die.” (04:38)
  • Memorable Moment: Laughter over whether Die Hard really counts as a Christmas film.

Films of the Year

• Brazilian Cinema’s Big Year:

  • Both Chris and Fernando praise I'm Still Here (winner of Best Foreign Film Oscar, starring Fernanda Torres) and “The Secret Agent” (a Cannes favorite).
  • Fernando: “This has been the year where Brazilian cinema, honestly everybody was talking about it... I do hope this movement continues.” (05:26–06:16)

• Nostalgic Re-releases and Anniversaries:

  • Jaws 50th Anniversary in IMAX.
  • Karen: “Don't be put off going to see a film that you loved on the big screen again. Because chances are if it's re released, it will be just as good as it was and it might actually be better as Jaws was with me.” (07:01)
  • Spielberg’s Duel (in 4K, January 2026).
  • Fernando’s quip: “I only like anniversaries that are older than 20 at least...But give me 20, give me 50 even. That's what I like.” (07:52)

• Animation’s Global Boom:

  • NESA 2 (Chinese animation) and Zootopia 2 excel at the box office.
  • “Another example that comes to mind is Demon Slayer...It's in the top 10 films of the year at the box office. So yeah, good year for animation.” (08:15–09:14)
  • Karen quotes Ned Tannen: “When you make a movie, it's a movie. If they're talking about it in 10 years time, it's a film. If they're still talking about it in 50 years, then it's cinema. But you sure as hell can't start out trying to make cinema.” (09:14)

• The “Year of the Inner Male”:

  • Karen: “I find it fascinating that films like Eddington...The Smashing Machine... and Cover Up Again... They're all about... kind of the inner male and what they really worry about...” (09:58–11:08)
  • Touch on men’s emotionality onscreen; “Maybe you can cry now, but maybe you secretly cry like my great aunt used to do in the shower.”
  • Fernando admits, “I do [cry at movies]. I do unexpected films, but I do cry a little bit, actually. Unashamedly.” (11:10)

Theater: London’s Luminescent Year

(Segments: 12:10–19:34)

A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic

• Chris Cermak and Matt Wolf (theatre critic, International New York Times) review festive classics.
• Matt on Dickens’ perennial:
  • “A Christmas Carol, of course. Dickens story of redemption and renewal, it always clutches at the heart... The production of the Old Vic is very special... musically it's very sophisticated.” (13:06)
  • “You have kind of a forest of flickering lanterns that match the mood of the story.” (13:22)
  • “If you're not moved by the end of this, Chris, you might as well just give up.” (15:11)

Theater Highlights of 2025

• Festen – The Opera
  • Matt: “Not the most cheery of topics... But qualitatively, it was so stunning. And the international reach of it is clearly already huge.” (15:39–16:06)
• Shucked – The Musical
  • “It’s got a very tangy, twangy country and western score... It’s a farm to fable, as they called it... And you laugh and laugh and laugh and then you just shed a slight tear because the ending is...very touching and poignant. So it's pure charm.” (17:34)

Farewell to Tom Stoppard

• Matt Wolf reflects on the passing of the legendary playwright:
  • “I don't think I've ever interviewed an author with a greater intellect than he possessed. But he never lorded that over you. It was always a conversation amongst equals...His work appealed to both head and heart in a way that I don't think will be equaled in my lifetime.” (18:21)

Festive Markets: Parisian Style and Sparkle

(Segments: 19:34–25:18)

• Monocle’s First Paris Christmas Market:
  • Emma Nelson interviews Brenda Tuohy (Luxury Markets Editor; Knightsbridge Rocks co-founder).
  • Highlights unique offerings:
    • Fred Paris “Force 10” ring, rugged yet chic (21:00)
    • Disco Ball ring—“you turn into John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever. The arms start moving, the hips wiggle.” (22:04)
    • Ancient Roman coin pendant (“pretty unusual...a one off piece”) (22:47)
    • Dangly sapphire earrings—“They're long, they're dangled, they're elegant, they're colorful.” (24:33)
  • Brenda observes: “Super chic Parisians. What can I say?...I've taken a lot of fashion notes. I think I need a little ivory knit hat...maybe an ivory coat, maybe with a little faux fur collar.” (24:57)

Wine for the Holidays and New Year

(Segments: 25:38–33:07)

• Guest: Chloe Lake, Monocle’s Resident Wine Expert
• Chloe shares her passion for wine, sparked by a happenstance visit to champagne cellars (26:22).

History & Traditions

• Warm, spiced wines (“gluhwein/gløgg/mulled wine”) trace back to the Romans: “they added spices to wine and heated it up because that was the only way of preserving it back then…as Christianity aligned with winter festivals such as Christmas, these warm spiced wines just became really entangled with the season.” (28:08)

English Wine’s Growing Prominence

• Chloe champions English sparkling wine:
  • “Absolutely. It's so here. And it's been here for a really long time. Contrary to kind of popular opinion...” (29:07)
  • Historical notes on Christopher Merritt (1662) and John Rose’s English Vineyard Vindicated (1666): “these natural sweet and benign showers, dews and influences can impart both life and pregnancy to these noble plantations.” (29:45)
  • Champagne house Tattinger has entered the English sparkling market.

Seasonal Tasting

• Tasting a “London Cru 2021 Vintage Blanc de Blanc” (urban winery; grapes from Sussex but made in London): “Chardonnay is like the chameleon of the wine world...if you have it in a very cold climate like England...it will be more acidic, more kind of punchy, lemony.” (30:42)
• Chris is converted: “That's different from your traditional Chardonnay. I can see what you're saying, the change in style.” (32:28)
• The bittersweet twist: “English wine is having a rise because a lot of it is due to climate change. What's happening in the UK at the moment is that the climate is the same as champagne was in the 1970s...” (32:37)

Notable Quotes

• “You sure as hell can't start out trying to make cinema.” – Karen Krasanovich, quoting Ned Tannen (09:14)
• “If you're not moved by the end of this, Chris, you might as well just give up.” – Matt Wolf on A Christmas Carol (15:11)
• “You laugh and laugh and laugh and then you just shed a slight tear because the ending is...very touching and poignant.” – Matt Wolf on Shucked (17:34)
• “His work appealed to both head and heart in a way that I don't think will be equaled in my lifetime.” – Matt Wolf on Tom Stoppard (18:21)
• “Chardonnay is like the chameleon of the wine world...” – Chloe Lake (30:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Start | Notable Points | |------------------------|---------|------------------------------------------------| | Film chats/holiday picks | 02:10 | Die Hard debate, Gremlins, nostalgia | | Animation/2025 trends | 08:07 | International animation, anniversaries | | Theater highlights | 12:10 | A Christmas Carol, Festen, Shucked, Tom Stoppard | | Paris Christmas Market | 19:34 | Sparkly jewelry, designer interview | | Wine and celebration | 25:38 | Gluhwein history, English sparkling wine |

Tone and Takeaways

Upbeat and warm in true holiday spirit, the episode blends laughter, cultural critique, and practical recommendations. Listeners are left both entertained and enriched—armed with new film suggestions, theater must-sees, gift ideas from Paris, and a celebratory glass of English sparkling wine.