REBIRTH IN VENICE

After being away 13 years, MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI has returned to the director's chair. The Italian master, who turns 83 this month, made Beyond the Clouds with Germany's WIM WENDERS as co-director. Since a stroke 10 years ago, Antonioni has been unable to speak; he makes his wishes known with gestures and written notes. At the Venice Film Festival, the joint work won standing ovations. Grazie and danke.

NOCTURNAL COMMISSION

Hush, now, don't wake TILDA SWINTON. The Scots-born actress--she had the title role in the movie Orlando--isn't resting between jobs, she's working. As part of a conceptual-art exhibit at London's Serpentine Gallery called "The Maybe,'' she sleeps eight hours a day in a glass box. To prepare for snoozing in the transparent enclosure, Swinton, 34, altered her body clock, changing night to day. "I love sleeping,'' she has said, "and I love lying down.'' Gallery literature says the show explores "a series of essential, unanswerable questions.'' Is this all a dream?

A LATIN HIT

With the successful release of her debut American album, No Se Parece a Nada (Unlike Anything Else), Havana-born singer ALBITA RODRIGUEZ, 33, is an instant sensation. Now touring Latin America, this vibrant performer finds inspiration in her native land's traditional rhythms. "I have always strongly defended the values of Cuban music," says Rodriguez.

A RIGHT ROYAL EDUCATION

No way on earth could PRINCE WILLIAM, 13, go off to Eton without a gaggle of press types--some 300 of them--to record each and every moment. Reunited temporarily at least, the rest of William's family--PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCESS DIANA and brother PRINCE HARRY--helped the fledgling Etonian make a royal impression. They took tea with other students and parents, and then Wills signed the entrance register. Though young master Windsor will live with 49 boys and is to be treated no differently from anyone else, let it be noted that he affixed H.R.H. to his signature.

WRETCHED EXCESS

In the poverty-stricken south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaram spent more than a million dollars on a wedding uniting her foster son V.N. SUDHAKARAN, 29, with N. SATYALAXMI, 24. The fete featured 200 truckloads of flowers, a wedding banquet prepared by 3,000 cooks and a reception guest list of 300,000.