This weekend try an unforgettable feta recipe or get lost in the hypnotic rhythms of legendary desert blues band Tinariwen’s new album.
Jane Messer blends the personal with the political in her latest book, Raven Mother. (Supplied: NewSouth)
Book: Raven Mother by Jane Messer
Published by NewSouth
In Raven Mother, Jane Messer retraces the life of her Jewish German grandmother Bella, a difficult and distant figure who died by suicide in 1949. In a story that takes Messer from Berlin and Tel Aviv to Melbourne, the author paints an altogether different portrait of a confident and capable woman whose family was torn apart by antisemitism and war.
In her journey, Messer confronts aspects of her family history she finds uncomfortable: Bella was one of thousands of German Jews who found refuge in Palestine in the 1930s; a wave of migration that eventually led to the displacement of 700,000 Palestinians, and, she notes, “for those who remained, a precarious and insecure life”. Messer navigates this vexed family legacy with sensitivity in a hybrid work blending memoir, history and biography.
– Nicola Heath
Tegan Higginbotham, Alan Davies, Zoë Coombs Marr and Brett Blake join Alex Lee for museum mayhem in the first episode of this new comedy quiz show. (ABC/i8 Studio)
On streaming: Tonight at the Museum
Streaming on ABC iview
Anyone who says they’ve never dreamed of sneaking around a museum after dark is probably lying. In Tonight at the Museum, Alex Lee invites four comedians to do exactly that, in the hallowed halls of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG).
Together, they go on treasure hunts, learn bizarre and obscure facts (did you know female hyenas have pseudo penises? Or that ants are known to keep herds of aphids and milk them like cows?) — and put their bluffing skills to the test.
It’s Gruen meets Taskmaster meets Balderdash, for the anthropologist living inside all of us.
The winner gets the honour of having an item of their choosing on display at TMAG forever. Alan Davies is a voodoo doll version of himself with an absurdly large …
Yeah, you’ve never seen a comedy quiz show quite like this.
– Yasmin Jeffery
Goat’s incredibly evocative combination of smooth 3D animation and comic-book style visuals means the movie can be enjoyed by kids and their adults. (Supplied: Sony Pictures)
At the cinema: Goat
In cinemas now
If you need something to keep the kids settled for 100 minutes this weekend, you could do a lot worse than Goat, the new animated spectacular from Sony Pictures. In a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, a precocious goat and “roarball” (it’s basketball with more steps) enthusiast Will (Caleb McLaughlin) dreams of becoming like his idol, panther Jett (Gabrielle Union), captain of the once-great-now-flailing Vineland Thorns roarball team.
The only problem is the unofficial rule that “smalls can’t ball”, that is any animal under six feet tall is asking for a squishing. Anyone who has seen an against-the-odds sports movie can probably see where the simplistic plot is going. But Goat’s incredibly evocative combination of smooth 3D animation and comic-book style visuals, which Sony has perfected over the years with animated Spidermans and KPop Demon Hunters, means the movie can be enjoyed by kids and their adults.
– Velvet Winter
West African desert blues collective Tinariwen deliver another scintillating collection of jams on their 10th album Hoggar. (Supplied: Wedge Records)
Album: Tinariwen — Hoggar
Out today on Wedge Records
The hypnotic rhythms and scorching guitars of Tuareg collective Tinariwen still pack immense power, decades on from the band’s inception. Spend half an hour with Hoggar, the legendary group’s 10th album, and you’ll quickly surrender to their electrifying desert blues.
It’s addictive listening: the nomadic band’s loping grooves and call‑and‑response vocals easily transcend any language barrier.
Guest appearances from indie‑folk singer José González and Sudanese vocalist Sulafa Elyas glide by like passing travellers — welcome, but never distracting. The real magic comes from Tinariwen’s seasoned interplay: they lock in with an intuition most bands spend lifetimes chasing.
– Dan Condon
Dance With Tom takes you on an interactive journey through storytelling. (ABC Kids)
For the kids: Dance With Tom
Streaming on ABC iview
Kids won’t stop wriggling? We have the antidote — Dance With Tom.
Set in the heart of the Yugambeh language region, First Nations storyteller and dancer Thomas E.S Kelly takes young viewers through traditional dances inspired by the land, animals and the elements.
Created by an award-winning First Nations team, the colourful series teaches Yugumbeh words through stories of connection and the universal language of dance.
From the wedge-tailed eagle to the gumtree, Tom’s gentle movements bring Aboriginal stories to life, with an eager group of dancers (both young and old) by his side learning the choreography.
With bite-sized five-minute episodes, this is screen time to revive your day. But a warning, once the kids catch on, Dance With Tom is bound to play on repeat.
– Shiloh Payne
This meal is a celebration of simplicity, and grapes which are in season and abundant. (ABC Everyday: Hetty Lui McKinnon)
You will likely have noticed that grapes are back and affordable, thanks to ideal growing conditions.
This 30-minute recipe, with a bare minimum of ingredients, is a celebration of that perfect little fruit. And, trust me, it’s a brilliant, if unexpected, light dinner.
Roasting the grapes deepens their flavour, making them richer and tangier with a hint of smokiness. And the hot salty feta provides the perfect balance.
Served on crusty bread it’s a treat that feels restaurant-worthy but is perfect for the couch.
– Jo Joyce