The new Afrikaans telenovela, Arendsvlei will make its debut tonight at 20:00 on kykNET & kie (DStv 145) with the 156-episode series that has a fictional Cape Flats high school as backdrop and comes front loaded with drama as teachers and pupils confront issues ranging from depression and addiction to homosexuality, murder, revenge and teen pregnancy.
Arendsvlei (Eagles' Valley), filmed in Cape Town and produced by Penguin Films, is the name of the fictional community and the Cape Flats high school where the Cupido family who runs the school tries to make a difference in children's lives.
Arendsvlei, kykNET & kie's first original Afrikaans telenovela, will run for a year and be broadcast from Mondays to Wednesdays at 20:00 until it ends in September 2019, following principal Beatrice (Jolene Martin) who is trying to run the school after her dad's death.
The Arendsvlei cast includes Oscar Petersen (David), Ernest St Clair (Christopher), Maria Valente (Samantha), Jody Abrahams (Lionel), Melanie Du Bois (Ronel), Crystal-Donna Roberts (Janice) and Sherman Pharo (Thys), Dillon Windvogel (Vernon), Gretchen Ramsden (Nicolene), Dean Richard Olivier (Anton), Ann Juries (Claudia), Rehane Abrahams (Wendy), Christian Bennett (Emile), Kay Smith (Debra), Craig Adriaanse (Wesley), Roberto Kyle (Lee-Roy), Celeste Matthews (Aunty Gertie) and Joseph Mitchell in the role of Uncle Johnny.
"Viewers can expect a lot of drama because not everyone in Arendsvlei have good intentions," says Janine Cornelius, supervising producer.
"We have a fantastic cast and viewers can look forward to seeing familiar old faces, but we're also very excited to introduce viewers to new, talented actors, especially the younger characters."
Roberta Durrant, creative producer, says Arendsvlei will offer something for everyone. "The story lines are universal. The telenovela primarily focuses on family. It's the tale of a brother and sister who want to make a difference in the community, but who have their lives irrevocably changed after a shooting incident."
Theltom Masimila, script writer says "the language use is authentically Cape based, very comfortable and belonging to the people whose stories we are telling".
