Season 1
Donkerland is a South African Afrikaans-language television drama series created by Deon Opperman and based on his award-winning 1997 play of the same name which follows the trials and tribulations of six generations of a family of settlers and the family of Black workers on the farm Donkerland in the district of Weenen, KwaZulu-Natal.
The narrative of Donkerland plays out over a period of 158 years, from 1838 to 1996.
Against the backdrop of the changing socio-political landscape of the country, Donkerland follows the trials and tribulations of six generations of a family of settlers and the family of Black workers on the farm Donkerland in the district of Weenen, KwaZulu-Natal - from the first founding of the farm all the way to 1996.
The complex play of relationships between members of the family over the generations as well as between the family and the Black workers on the farm is the central focus of this drama series.
When first produced for stage in 1997, Donkerland was hailed as a milestone in South African literature, particularly for its revisionist view of Afrikaner history. No punches are pulled in this frank and honest portrayal of Afrikaner history.
Donkerland was produced by Bottom Line Entertainment with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry South Africa, directed by Jozua Malherbe and produced by Deon Opperman and Soné Combrinck. The head writer was Deon Opperman, who also wrote the screenplay. Music was composed by Janine Neethling.
The series was filmed in Johannesburg, Heidelberg, Kurgersdorp and the surrounding areas in the winter of 2013. The estimated production budget was R10-million.