The crisp chill of winter has snapped to attention in the northern hemisphere and driven us indoors – making it the perfect time to catch up on must-watch documentaries and talk shop with Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen about his latest release. Then it’s off to Kyoto with the Monocle Concierge but not before a quick stopover at LAX for a touch of planespotting. Our first bit of business comes courtesy of Andrew Tuck, a man warmed by the fires of entrepreneurial spirit.

The new issue of Monocle: The Entrepreneurs is out and, of course, we would like you to purchase a copy or, better still, become a subscriber, so that you can receive all our magazines.

Entrepreneurship is a topic that’s always been central to Monocle’s reporting. Why? Because it’s our foundation story. We are a business started by a serial entrepreneur and, even as the company has evolved and grown, that foundation story has remained a point of reference that we often return to. Indeed, the nimble thinking, the determination to set your own course and the energy that got the business off the ground are just as evident today in all that we do (sometimes a mite exhausting, nearly always thrilling).

And, as with many companies – well, the good ones – started by enterprising men and women, the notion of being entrepreneurial isn’t something that only resides in the boardroom. It’s an attitude that permeates all our decision-making, a reflex in (you hope) all your team. In part, I know that this is effective at Monocle because I see what people go on to do if, when, they leave the company. One of my former colleagues messaged me this week from Bangladesh, where he is consulting on a project for a client. Another I spotted on Instagram has just completed an interior-design project with his business. Others have their own media companies, restaurants, you name it.

A recent trip to Prague confirmed what I had already long assumed: the ultimate barometer for winter chic is women of a certain vintage from Central and Eastern Europe (writes Grace Charlton). On the cobbled streets of the Czech capital, the local babičky are walking masterclasses in cold-weather style as they sashay about in cashmere jumpers, fur coats and leather gloves. One silhouette-topper in particular is currently prevailing as the accessory-of-choice: the shearling chapka (the version without the fur-trapper earmuffs). It seems that the high-fashion crowd is finally cottoning on to the humble chapka as it makes a quiet comeback this winter.

As award season beckons there’s plenty to see on the big screen but don’t neglect the documentaries. Here, we round up three of the most informative films from a medium that’s enjoying a golden age.

‘The Contestant’
In 1998, Tomoaki Hamatsu won an audition to take part in the Japanese programme, Susunu! Denpa Shōnen, on Nippon Television. This remarkable documentary follows what happens over the course of the next year. Hamatsu’s life is streamed to millions of avid viewers but the darker side of reality television is also on show.
‘The Contestant’ is released in cinemas on 29 November.

‘No Other Land’
Over several years, No Other Land documents the destruction of Palestinian homes in Masafer Yatta in the West Bank to make way for an Israeli military-training area. The production is created by Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham – a symbolic collaboration that helps to make this such a stirring watch.
‘No Other Land’ is out in cinemas now.

‘Union’
Union tells the story of a group of Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island who, in 2022, became the company’s first unionised workplace in the US. The inspiring underdog story, bolstered by backing from Adam McKay as executive producer, is a gripping look at the relationship between workers and corporate juggernauts.
‘Union’ is out in cinemas now.

While other airports may transit more passengers, LAX stands out in the US for the sheer number of planes that it moves (writes Tom Vanderbilt). For this reason, the airport and its surrounds attract a certain flock of fuselage-fanatics and cockpit-peepers rarely found at other major airports.

The sheer traffic, combined with the fact that LAX is surrounded by Los Angeles – you can be walking down Sepulveda Boulevard when a shockingly low Korean Air Airbus A380 nearly blows you over – has made the airport a favourite of aviation geeks worldwide. Add in the bewitching Californian light, dramatic mountain and ocean backdrops, and LAX is a planespotter’s paradise.

Paraboots are everywhere (writes Jack Simpson). Roaming through Milan, flitting between shops in Tokyo or crossed beneath broadsheets in London, the French-made shoe is enjoying yet another heyday. However, discerning shoegazers now look for more than the brand’s infamous Norwegian welt and green label. To properly stand out, one must nab a pair of the hard-to-find collaboration releases, which feature distinct materials, laces, buckles and more.

The Monocle Concierge is our purveyor of top tips and delectable recommendations for your next trip. If you’re planning to go somewhere nice and would like some advice, click here. We will publish one answer each week.

Dear Concierge,
I am looking to visit Kyoto in December. What are some unique experiences in this beautiful city during winter?

Thanks in advance,
Ioana Posea,
Romania

December is a good time to visit Kyoto as the bustling city of 10,000 shrines may be a touch quieter than other months of the year. You’ll have space to meander the city’s serene temples, charming back streets and warming cafes.

We recommend a stay at Moksa, a small hotel in Kyoto’s leafy northeast, just next door to the historic Ruriko-in Temple. Traditional breakfasts are served using local herbs and vegetables; start the day in one of its private steam-bath saunas that uses the neighbouring Takano river’s flowing water. Alternatively, head to craft shop Kyo Amahare, set in a beautifully restored machiya (traditional two-storey townhouse) with three small gardens and an interior designed by architecture studio Tonerico Inc. Tucked away in the back is a teahouse where you can enjoy a well-poured brew and peruse the ceramics.

For lunch, head to Teuchisoba Kanei, a short walk from Daitoku-ji Temple, for a taste of Kyoto’s best soba noodles. Meals begin with homemade fried soba chips and customers sit at low tables on tatami-mat floors that extend to a small garden. We also recommend the soba-zenzai (dumplings with sweet red-bean soup and seaweed).

No trip to Kyoto would be complete without some Zen meditation. For a 90 to 180 minute session led by monk Tosei Shinabe, try Ryosoku-in Temple. Or dip into one of Japan’s oldest public art museums, the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art. Restored by architects Jun Aoki and Tezzo Nishizawa, the 1930s imperial-crown-style brick building is a marvel in and of itself.

While the sun hangs low, the last of the autumn colours still linger and the city’s winter chill starts to set in, book a good table at Dupree. Opened by Masanobu Egami in 2018, it has a warm, candlelit mix of wooden furniture from Kyoto maker Jurinsha and antique French tiles.

The bistro’s menu contains vegetables from nearby Ohara and carp from Arashiyama, as well as fish from Mie and Fukui prefectures. Then, when you’ve had your fill of Kyoto-French fare, step out onto the snow-dusted streets for a scenic stroll through the city’s winter illuminations.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen is known for his in-depth, human exploration of characters and history executed with an artist’s eye. We speak to McQueen about the release of his new film, Blitz, which details the lives of 20th-century Britons during the Second World War.