FILM

HEROES OF TEKWENI The Film Museum Project held an unu-sual party at the Alliance Fran‡aise in Durban to celebrate the 80th birthday of its international patron, legendary French film maker Jean Rouch. Ida Jooste zoom While Rouch was having his official party in Paris, supporters of the Visual Voice Film Museum gathered to honour the director who is helping to kickstart the film industry in KZN through the Heroes of Tekweni project. Rouch is directing this unique film event which aims to portray the unsung heroes of KZN and to research the true history of the region. The project includes a script development component, also a comparative workshop for 16mm and Betacam video to be held during Artfest '97 this month. If you'd like to support the film museum project or attend the workshops, ring Lindi Gross on 23- 1236 or Mikhail Peppas on 083-750-1744.

JAZZ ON THE DECK The BAT jazz on the deck music project featuring local musicians takes place every Friday from 17h30 and every Saturday from 20h30 at the BAT Centre.

THE SOAP CHANNEL M-Net is to launch its 24-hour soap channel on DStv on August 4, bringing to six the number of M-Net channels on DStv. The other five are M-Net, the movie magic channel, the two Super-sport channels and KTV. Initially the soap channel will consist of six-hour blocks of classic British, American and Australia soaps never seen before in South Africa. These blocks will be repeated four times a day, i.e. 06h00, 12h00, 18h00 and 00h00 in this order:

Guiding Light - the most successful drama in broadcast history (started on radio in 1937); As the World Turns - the saga of a family in Oakdale; Search for Tomorrow which has been a training ground for stars like Jill Clayburgh, Kevin Kline and Susan Sarandon; Coro-nation Street - set in the fictitious town of Weatherfield, takes viewers into the lives of a variety of characters; the award-winning Peyton Place - one of the most highly-rated American soaps of all time - which has launched the careers of Dorothy Malone, Lee Grant, Barbara Perkins, Ed Nelson, Mia Farrow and Ryan O'Neal; The Edge of Night - a murder mystery featuring the lives of an assistant DA and his journalist wife, and Another World which delivers romance and adventure in every episode.

ROBERT MOTHERWELL The film Robert Motherwell and the New York School, based on the reminiscences of Robert Motherwell (one of the chief protagonists of the New York school), will be screened at the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg on July 22 and 23 at 13h00. The film recalls the "heroic age" of American Abstract Expressionism, tracing the struggle of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning and others to establish New York as the world centre of modern art. Admission is free.

DECORATIVE ARTS The Decorative Arts Society holds regular monthly talks at 12h00 in Mansfield Hall in Mansfield Road. The next talk will be held on July 15 when Digby Ricci, critic and English lecturer at King David School will discuss New Ways to Dream - Some Masters of the Silent Screen. This talk will be repeated the following day, July 16, at 12h30 in Pietermaritz-burg at the Royal Showgrounds. For details on how to join the society contact Lynette Pittaway on 86-5528.

JOCK Premiering on M-Net on July 19 is the latest version of the story of the friend-ship between Sir Percy Fitzpatrick and the dog he saved from being drowned. Jock zoom Jock was shot entirely on location in South Africa in 1995 and is directed by Danie Joubert. Robert Urich and Sean Gallagher take the lead roles while the supporting cast is mainly South Africa.

TOP SCORING The latest ratings for the top 155 tele-vision shows in the United States, as detailed in the latest issue of the US magazine Entertainment Weekly reflect many of the shows either currently on M-Net or scheduled for programming. These include shows such as ER, Cosby, The Simpsons, Grace Under Fire, The Pretender, Melrose Place, Dave's World, Dark Skies and The Burning Zone. M-Net fares well when it comes to the top 20 rated shows, scoring seven out of the 20 (five in the Top Ten) and taking into account that five top 20 slots are taken up by programming such as foot-ball, movies and actuality shows like 60 Minutes and 20/20 (inserts of which often appear on Carte Blanche).