DAM

Secrets pushed down will rise to the surface in this psychological thriller series, now streaming.

With our 14-day free trial

All eight episodes of the small-town psychological thriller shot in the Eastern Cape are now streaming.

Silwerskerm Best Actress winner Lea Vivier (Wonderlus, Fynskrif) stars as Yola Fischer, who returns from Chile to the Eastern Cape to bury her father, only to be tormented by spirits in the farm house she has inherited. But with her mother institutionalised, and her own meds running out, Yola has to wonder if the spirits are real or just in her head?

Two-time South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) winner Pallance Dladla (Shadow, Isibaya) co-stars as Themba, her love interest, a biker on the run.

Natasha Loring (who’s voiced game characters in both the Star Wars and Game of Thrones franchises, and starred in international series like Beaver Falls) plays Yola’s sister, Sienna; SAFTA winner Antoinette Louw (An Act of Defiance, Die Laaste Tango) plays her aunt Dora; and Fleur du Cap winner Faniswa Yisa (Blood Psalms, Knuckle City and Skin) is Lindiwe; with aKing frontman Laudo Liebenberg (Black Sails, Die Byl) and Gerald Steyn (Meisies Wat Fluit, Fiela Se Kind) as brothers Rudy and Max Reese.

“It’s the story of a family – and a town – with dark secrets, and about how what you push down will eventually rise up,” says Alex Yazbek (The Wild, Unmarried, Isibaya), a four-time SAFTA winner who wrote and directed the eight-part series.

Who's who in town

Sienna

Forever in the shadow of the sister she loves, shadows of doubt appear. Natasha Loring plays Sienna.

Rudy

Even reasonable men can have their reasons for giving into darkness. Laudo Liebenberg plays Rudy.

Dora

Sister, mother, aunt and matriarch, she’ll do anything to keep it all in the family. Antoinette Louw plays Dora.

Lindiwe

A healer by nature. But there’s nothing natural about what awaits her. Faniswa Yisa stars as Lindiwe.

Themba

A rebel with a cause even greater than he imagined. Pallance Dladla plays Themba.

Yola

Going home means going deeper into a past that could tear her apart. Lea Vivier stars as Yola.

More about DAM

The creator of DAM on the challenges and joys of making the series →

Alex Yazbek, the multiple-SAFTA winner who wrote and directed the acclaimed Showmax Original thriller, tells us about his highs and lows.

7 African shows worth adding to your binge-list →

Africa, your time is now! From Crime and Justice, to Tali’s Baby Diary, these world-class series are worth your screen time.

Antoinette Louw on playing the deceptively powerful Dora in DAM →

She may come across as a nurturer and mother figure, but Yola and Sienna’s aunt Dora is a dark horse if ever there was one.

The Girl From St Agnes

In the press

On Fortress of Solitude

DAM is South Africa's answer to The Outsider and Sharp Objects

Showmax’s DAM might not have been on most people’s radars at the beginning of the year, but you’d be a fool to sleep on this eight-part miniseries. It’s simply a must-watch show that promises to fester in your mind long after the credits roll.

On tagged!

You haven't seen anything like DAM on South African TV before

Many elements in the production hinge on [Lea] Vivier's performance and the cinematography, much of which functions on the same level as that of a character. There is a story to be told by what the camera reveals and withholds.

On 9 Lives

DAM releases on Showmax today and heads-up, it's a goodie

I constantly felt as though the first two episodes of DAM should actually be viewed as a full cinema immersive experience. The sounds, lighting and cinematography pulls you into the story, puts you on the edge of your seat and yes, it does scare you.

For press queries, contact laura.cooke@showmax.com

DAM

Binge-watch all episodes