Pallance Dladla on returning as the ‘moral compass’ in ‘DAM’
THE first season of DAM scooped several nominations, and two wins, at the South African Film and TV Awards (Saftas) and, going by the first few episodes of the second instalment, the Showmax drama could be on its way to winning plenty more.
Season two picks up three months after the Spring Festival. The cult’s ritual sacrifice seems to have worked: rain has come and transformed the land.
Lea Vivier, who reprises her role as Yola, has no memory of anything since her return for her father’s funeral, but can she put the missing pieces together as diamonds are discovered, a mass grave uncovered and a monster surfaces in the dam?
Safta nominee Pallance Dladla returns to his role as Themba in this suspense-filled drama and to wrap up some unfinished business.
“We shot the first season during Covid. A lot of people didn’t know how the future was going to pan out. Somehow we ended up in Bedford in the Eastern Cape shooting this series, and something magical happened that resonates through the show.
“We became such a real family – the actors and the crew. I feel like there’s going to be more incredible things that are going to happen in our industry if we just build this family-based way of working,” he said.
“But also, season one ends on a cliffhanger, so we knew that we had unfinished business.”
Dladla, who describes the series as a “psychological thriller that intertwines horror and fantasy too” said that at its heart is a story about family, love and healing.
On his role, he said Themba was the moral compass for the audience.
“He has this purity. He’s grounded, where with Yola’s role this season, there’s a sense of disconnection.
“He realises the importance of his ancestry and that the values passed down by his forefathers are fundamental to humanity: values of love, family, forgiveness, community and connection with nature – that we all belong in this ecosystem.
“And he is challenged to honourably embrace these values and these responsibilities, whatever the cost,” he said.
Without giving too much away, Dladla said one of the things that creeped him out this season was when a stunt man was on fire.
“I do my own stunts, but to a certain level, not like th at. So kudos for that, man. Whoo-wee!”
Dladla, who was not surprised when the first season received two nods at the Saftas, said he wanted the show to go to other festivals.
“I was waiting for more! Like, let’s take this to other festivals. Friends of mine who are not from this country, who’ve seen this, they’re like, ‘Oh. My. Gosh. What is this?’ So I want us to take it further.”
Created by four-time Safta winner Alex Yazbek, the show also stars Natasha Loring reprising her Safta-winning role as Yola’s sister, Sienna, Antoinette Louw, Thembisa Mdoda, Tarryn Wyngaard, Faniswa Yisa, Laudo Liebenberg, Francis Chouler, Gerald Steyn, Jennifer Steyn, Andre Odendaal and Marvin-lee Beukes.
The new season is streaming on Showmax with new episodes dropping on Thursdays until March 23.