South Africa has steadily gained exposure for its production and promotion of quality film and television content. Heck, we’ve already won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, we hold numerous film festivals, and film and television producers often flock to our shores in order to film their work.
Now, to add to our resumé, is the six-part miniseries Cape Town, based on the 1996 local novel Dead Before Dying by literary giant Deon Meyer. A collaborative effort with Germany, it features both South African and European performers, such as Norway’s Trond Espen Seim, Austrian-born actor Boris Kodjoe, our very own Arnold Vosloo (of The Mummy fame) and Jessica Haines, who starred alongside John Malkovich as Lucy in the adaptation of J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace.
Cape Town follows policeman Mat Joubert (Trond), whose wife’s murder sends him into a suicidal and alcohol-dependent state. Upon returning to work he is partnered with Sanctus Snook (Boris) and the two must investigate the murders of several men, all apparently killed with the same German-made weapon, their faces covered with masks of famous people. Occurring alongside these events are the drugging, sexual assault and killing of various young women.
There’s plenty of terror, mystery and thrills to be expected from this show that looks set to rival international titles in the genre. Look out for it this month on the Universal Channel (DStv 117) Wednesdays at 9 pm .
Photography Courtesy CAPE TOWN – TV Series Trailer