Desert Rose
Season 1 M-Net (*101) 20:30 Drama
Being the middle child isn’t always easy but the opposite is true for Jana Greyling (Amalia Uys, Jo in Afrikaans action series Die Byl) in M-Net’s latest original drama series Desert Rose. “Jana has a strong connection with her brothers and sisters, and she’s a loving person but also needs a lot of love, which she tries and get in all the wrong places,” says Amalia.
With the death of her sister Rosie (Tinarie van Wyk-Loots, Catherine in comedy series Troukoors) in episode 1 (also available on DStv Catch Up), Jana now bears the responsibility for her siblings. “She takes that quite seriously, and even when their estranged father Freddy (Neil Sandilands, General Abbot in Netflix fantasy series Sweet Tooth) returns, she isn’t going to let him take over after he abandoned them. Jana doesn’t trust him and whether she ever will remains to be seen as they’re not out of danger yet,” adds Amalia.
That danger is the ruthless Eugene van As (Ben Voss, Geoff in 2017 drama film Beyond The River) who the Greylings owe a huge debt to and Eugene is coming to collect – and he’ll use whatever means necessary. This Jana knows all too well, so she must protect her family, even if that means using her sexuality. “Jana is sexually liberated and when it’s needed, she uses it as a weapon,” explains Amalia. “There are nude scenes, but I don’t want viewers to get offended and think, ‘Oh, Amalia is naked’. I play a role and that is part of it, I wouldn’t have done it if I did not feel comfortable. The production company and the crew handled it with care and the utmost professionalism. I think fans will enjoy the show.” NB! See p12.