Star 2022-01-07

Michael O'Sullivan The geometry of film-maker Pedro Almodóvar's masterful, moving Parallel Mothers, which follows the stories of two women who give birth almost simultaneously in a Madrid hospital, is really a criss-crossing set of two fascinatingly entangled lines. There’s one superficial similarity between the main characters: both are unwed mothers. But Janis (Penélope Cruz) is a successful magazine photographer in her late thirties, made pregnant by Arturo (Israel Elejalde), a handsome, married forensic anthropologist she’s shooting for an article. And Ana (Milena Smit) is a slightly clueless teenager, still living with her well-off actress mom (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), and pregnant after a gang rape. Named after the singer Janis Joplin (who, like Janis’s own mother, died of an overdose at 27), Janis was raised in a small rural village by her…

Kedibone Modise kedibone.modise@inl.co.za Local musician and television producer Sipho “Psyfo” Ngwenya remembers his late mother, renowned opera singer June Kraus, on the first anniversary of her death. The former YoTV presenter took to Instagram on Wednesday to reflect on Kraus’s last moments. He also thanked Kraus for her love and support throughout the years. “A year ago today, you took your last breath. So grateful that you at least got to see me become a man. (I’m) so grateful you were there for me to become a husband,” he said. He added: “So many things I am grateful for, but most importantly, I am grateful for the love you gave me. Gone but not forgotten. I miss you and will always celebrate your life.” Fans and industry friends, including Minnie…

Oluthando Keteyi Local rapper Blxckie on New Year's weekend was involved in a serious accident on his way to a gig. Blxckie is one of the most booked rappers in Mzansi and this past festive he had his successful B4Now Tour. The popular rapper took to Instagram to share why he was unable to make a performance in Durban. The Joy hitmaker said while driving from Lesotho to Joburg, he and his team experienced a tyre puncture in Bloemfontein. “What happened is, we were driving from Lesotho to Jozi to catch a 6pm flight to Durban, so I can get to these gigs and whatever. “When we arrived in Bloemfontein, which is like a lil bit over halfway to Jozi, one of the front tyres got a puncture and…

This year’s Grammy Awards ceremony honouring top performances in music has been postponed indefinitely because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, organisers said on Wednesday. The show, which was to be hosted by Trevor Noah, had been scheduled to take place at an arena in downtown Los Angeles and broadcast live on the CBS network on January 31. “Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks,” CBS and the Recording Academy said in a joint statement, adding that a new date would be announced soon. Nominations for the awards were announced in November. Pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste led a field that spanned rap to jazz and embraced newcomers from teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo…

Zelda Venter zelda.venter@inl.co.za SOLDIERS who went awol while on a medical course in Cuba in 2017 have once again lost their legal bid to be reinstated after the SANDF gave them the boot. The group of 36 medical students turned to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) after the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, last year ruled that the SANDF was within its rights to fire them. The court initially found in favour of the soldiers and ordered their reinstatement. This order was, however, overturned by three judges of the high court on appeal. Unhappy with this verdict, the group turned to the SCA, which yesterday turned down their application. The SCA judges commented that “the SANDF simply cannot function properly when its members absent themselves from duty without…

Bongani Nkosi bongani.nkosi@inl.co.za IT IS a legislative defect that people arrested under the Domestic Violence Act are charged for violating a protection order and not the violence they may have perpetrated at home. The SA Law Reform Commission (SALRC) has identified this as one of various shortcomings as to how the law responds to violence perpetrated within domestic relationships. The SALRC, a statutory body, is investigating whether the country’s current legislation has done enough to protect victims of domestic violence. In a discussion document detailing the objectives of the investigation, the SALRC highlighted that partners who violated protection orders had to date effectively avoided charges for violence they may have inflicted. “In its current format the Domestic Violence Act provides for the issuing of protection orders with regards to domestic…