7 4 ‘a : a Sega Rae a ie ofa are ARTS Arts shorts RS a a i i tl aii tl iiasl ABC to run mini-series on Soviet takeover of U.S. NEW YORK — The U.S. television network, ABC has de- cided to run a mini-series depicting life in the United States after a Soviet takeover. The $40-million venture ran into trouble when it went seriously over budget. Network officials had also received a warning from the Soviets that ABC’s operations in Moscow could be jeopardized by the project. The premise of the 16 hour series, that the Soviets would seek to take over the U.S. was criticized by scholars and peace activi- ists both as a political distortion and damaging to U.S.-Soviet relations. Soviet cultural officials in a press conference called the series part of an effort to incite anti-Soviet feelings in the U.S. They called such a films as Rambo; Rocky IV and Red Dawn “‘hate propaganda’’. CBC tribute to Paul Robeson TORONTO — Paul Robeson, one of the greatest American singers and civil rights activists of this century, is soon to be paid tribute to by young Canadian writer, Michael Glassbourg. In a three part series of the CBC’s ‘‘Arts National’’, Glassbourg and the narrator of this series, Jerry Goodis, will be focussing on the personal life and the music of Paul Robeson, paying particular attention to Robeson’s life during the McCarthy years. The series will include much of Robeson’s music, but will also have excerpts from many of his speeches and interviews. Paul Robeson Jr. is interviewed for the show, as are many of Robe- son’s friends and fellow musicians. : Be sure to catch this series on CBC F.M., February 7, 14 and 1. Soviets explain absence at PEN writers congress MOSCOW — In a letter to Norman Mailer, declining the invitation to Soviet writers to take part in the PEN conference of writers held in the U.S. recently, Georgy Markov, First Secret- ary of the Board of the Soviet’s Writers Union explained that the presence of dissidents among the guests would not lead to a constructive debate. The letter to Mailer, who is president of the U.S. chapter of PEN reads: ‘‘We would be ready to accept if it were not for a certain circumstance that is one of principle to us. As seen from the list you have sent, those who were invited to the congress as honorary guests include persons (among them former Soviet citizens) whose activity over a number of years has been aimed at stirring up enmity and hatred among peoples. Therefore, their participation in the congress, we are sure, cannot be conducive to a creative and construction atmosphere. ‘Our stand, naturally does not mean that we are against com- paring viewpoints, however different,” the letter says. Markov points out that ‘‘The activity of those persons, in the final analysis, is directed against the striving, common to all humanity, for peace and mutual understanding among peoples in general, and among writers in particular. Our consent to accept your kindly invitation would mean we would be in the company of those propagators of hatred for our people and for the peoples of those countries where they come from. ‘The USSR Writers’ Union now exerts efforts aimed at step- ping and expanding our contacts with American writers. We wish our mutually useful ties, creative debates to promote a better mutual understanding and good relations between the peoples and writers of our countries.”’ Children’s peace club named for Samantha TASHKENT — Children’s friendship clubs in the Soviet Re- public of Uzbekistan participated in a contest to determine which would be named after Samantha Smith, the 11 year old American girl who won people’s hearts during her peace mission to the Soviet Union in 1983. She was killed last year, along with her father, in a plane crash. The contest required that the students have a good knowledge of the U.S., particularly Samantha’s home state of Maine and were active in the peace movement. Secondary School 122 won the prize and celebrated their for- tune by establishing a Samantha Smith Museum collecting press clippings and other reminiscences of her trip to the Soviet Union. Two students at the school drew a portrait of the young Ameri- can with a peace dove in her hand. It has been hung in the school entrance and a lane of poplar trees has been planted outside the school in her memory. In addition the school is publishing a collection of children’s peace poems, dedicated to Samantha. ogee’ Man learns humanity from alien in Enemy Mine. sci-fi flick a romantic saga ENEMY MINE. A Wolfgang Petersen film, star- ring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. Pro- duced by Stephen Friedman and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. *‘Enemy Mine”’ is not your typical Hollywood sci-fi flick. Though it relies on some flashy effects and ingeniously designed costumes, it is more than a romantic saga of good over evil. Louis Gossett Jr. stars as an outer space creature called Drac. He meets up with earthman Davidage (Dennis Quaid) on a deserted planet after both crash in an inter-gallactic battle. Their first encounter is a hostile one, but as soon as both of them realize they are stuck on a gloomy planet, they recognize their mutual need to survive. They build a life together — these two creatures — they learn each other’s tongues and histories. “‘Jerry,’’ as the Drac is properly nicknamed by Davidage, saves the earthman’s life on numerous occasions and they develop a real love for each other. - But Davidage still dreams of rescue, of being off that godforsaken planet and returning to the space Station in the sky. His dreams disturb him and one day he departs on a journey to find held. He does find a trace of humans, yes, but to his dismay they — are inter-planetary human scavengers who have made a business of enslaving Dracs to do under- ground mining. Sound familiar? Davidage abandons all hope and returns to “‘Jer-_ ry’’ only to find him bearing the lonely, cold winter — while a surprise awaits. This neither male-nor-fe- male Drac is with little one inside, and awaits ~ parenthood. Not all is well, however, and the little Drac, Zamys comes to being only at the death of its parent, leaving our dear earthman with the respon- sibility of being a single father. The film has a powerful and humble message, placing the values of love, friendship and justice in its proper context, even in a futuristic, science-fictional tone. *‘Enemy Mine”’ makes important statements on colonialism and racism in a way that elevates our ~ human hero to his proper place. He is neither good, _ nor evil. He is a human, and thanks to the lovely — Dracs, he learns what that really means. — Persis Karim Peoples World A question of responsibility THE OFFICIAL STORY. Directed by Luis Puenzo. Starring Norma Aleandro. 14 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JANUARY 29, 1986 The ‘‘desaparecidos’’, thousands who vanished in the mire of fascism, when the generals ruled Argentina. The generals are gone now, self-de- structing in their own corruption and ultimately exposed during the Malvinas (Falkland) War. They left their dirty piece of history and a nation which must come to terms with a painful past. _ Official Story is an effort to facilitate a dialogue among Argentinians (and the rest of the world) about a subject they’ve been shocked into forgetting. While sensitively done, it is a direct challenge to those who remained silent, while the military at- tempted to wipe out the best of a generation. The story concerns Alicia, a history teacher and mother to a five year old girl she obtained from her businessman husband under unexplained circum- - stances. Hers is an affluent and frivilous life until a friend she hasn’t seen for a long period returns with a first-hand account of the insides of fascism’s jails. The demonstrations by mothers of the disap- peared are growing and attracting international at- ° tention. Stories of infants born to imprisoned, tor- tured women reach Alicia’s ears and she becomes filled with a dreaded suspicion that her own daugh- ter may be one of these children. From here she embarks on an agonizing quest, which not only leads her to the possible identity of her child, but horrifying revelations about her hus- band and country. Alicia’s individual story is a personal one for the Argentinian nation, but the implications reach far beyond the confines of territorial borders. In Alici- a’s classroom she taught a “‘history’’ which pre- supposes that events are caused by great men while the rest of humanity is merely a pawn carried along by a great tide of circumstances. But when that history invades here own home it hurls her into events, revealing that she and her class were part of the acquiesence which allowed state terrorism and the genocide of opposition to flourish. The Official Story is ultimately a statement that history is personal, it is made by people and each one of us carries the moral responsibility to effect it in the most positve way possible. — Kerry McCusig In from the cold TARGET. Directed by Arthur Penn. Screenplay by Howard Berk and Don Peterson. Starring Gene Hackman. Gene Hackman stars as a CIA dropout, now living a quiet, unassuming family life. He is a man once attracted to the ‘‘wild, dangerous and excit- ing”’ vocation in his youth but resigned “‘because instead of agents, we were lunatics ... destroying each other,”’ engaging in ‘‘murder, betrayal and hidden violence.”’ Hackman now likes nothing more exciting than reading the latest espionage bestseller but is forced back when his wife is kidnapped in an act of re- venge for past events. The search for his wife leads down a trail of terror, carnage, deception, and the casual violence that are the earmark of CIA tactics. There are deliberate parallels drawn by the filmaker between the CIA and organized crime, a sinister portrait of rampant state terrorism in operation. The portrayal of East Berlin intelligence — officials in contrast, is unusually sympathetic. The problem however, is the lack of any even minimal political background to the ensuing events, leaving the distorted impression that espionage activity is merely a personal contest among adversaries with- out ideology, the victory belonging to those most capable of the greatest viciousness.