more Rent SAR 14.99 Buy SAR 49.99 Trailers Ratings and Reviews 4.5 COMMON SENSE View our online Press Pack. One of the intending escapees, Denis Goldberg, communicated with comrades in the ANC through coded letters sent to Baruch Hirson in London. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. In order to successfully escape from the prison in December 1979, Jenkin unlocked nine doors while Goldberg diverted the warden. Jenkin worked as a researcher for the Institute for Social Development at the University of the Western Cape, a university for South Africans of mixed racial ancestry, or Coloureds. [14], Moumbaris was allowed to see the French envoy from time to time, who would assure him he was doing everything within his power to secure his release and persuade the authorities to let Marie-Jos visit him. Eenmaal onder de vleugels van politiek activist Denis Goldberg besluiten ze om, samen. Ready to find out more about the real story Escape from Pretoria is based on? The system was never cracked and helped the ANC coordinate in the run up to Nelson Mandela's release from prison. "[This] was hugely emotional," Stephen described The Daily Mirror how the first breakthrough made him feel. Something went wrong, please try again later. In prison they met Denis Goldberg and on Alexandre Moumbaris - not on Leonard Fontaine. Two years later, Marie-Jos gave birth to a daughter, Zo, who was born on 11 December 1981, the second anniversary of the escape. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Escape From Pretoria follows the months-long construction of an escape plan formulated by South African apartheid activists Tim Jenkin, Stephen Lee, and French national Leonard Fontaine (substituted for Egyptian-Australian activist Alex Moumbaris). Ze worden op heterdaad betrapt en veroordeeld tot een jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central Prison. [16][17][18][19], They were taken to Caledon Square Police Station, the head office of the Security Branch in Cape Town, where they were separated, interrogated and put into cells, without being informed of the charges or their rights. [5] He later wrote that he had "grown up a 'normal' complacent white South African" who "unthinkingly accepted the system and for twenty-one years never questioned it". [12], Moumbaris, although enrolled in university courses, did not undertake formal studies at all while in prison; it was a cover so extra books could be obtained from the university library for everyone to make use of; it was a way of keeping themselves informed about the world. "You are the white Mandela," says a ham-faced warden, all but spitting in the face of anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin upon his arrival at Pretoria Local Prison in 1978. Adams and Karol Griffiths, director Annan certainly preserved that unique touch but also added some very entertaining and wonderful cinematic elements to it. Jenkins book of the same title was published in 1987, when he was still living as a fugitive from nominal justice in London. In December 1979, Jenkin, Lee and fellow inmate Alex Moumbaris broke out of Pretoria Central Prison using handmade keys to nine of the doors leading out of the prison, after several hair-raising moments after encountering unforeseen obstacles. Imposing: Pretoria Prison Speaking from his home in North London, dad-of-two Stephen, now 62, says they had been determined to escape from the moment they arrived at notorious Pretoria. AM. This movie is based on the book written by Jenkin himself and because of the Escape from Pretoria feels very personal and up-close. The last 30-odd years have seen such a wealth of diverse, resonant personal histories emerge from the ashes of apartheid not least that of the actual, not-white Mandela that Escape from Pretoria could well have missed its moment entirely. Boom, the door just slid open, absolutely smoothly, he says. They had to leave it untested until the actual night of their escape, December 11, 1979 - 18 months after their conviction. It took them months to crack the fourth lock. A massive police operation was launched to recapture the convicts, but by that time Stephen and Tim were on their way out of South Africa, to safety in the UK. . [23], In December 1979,[7] Jenkin, Lee and fellow inmate Alex Moumbaris[24][17] broke out of Pretoria Central Prison using handmade keys to ten of the doors leading out of the prison, after several hair-raising moments when encountering unforeseen obstacles. For Jenkin, that cost is a 12-year prison sentence, handed down after he and his best friend Stephen Lee (Daniel Webber, tersely charismatic in a thin part) were caught planting a leaflet bomb to distribute ANC protest flyers in central Cape Town. When youre making it the lock is right there, you keep filing it until it fits in the holes. I wasnt wondering, oh will they make it?. He would then lean out of the tiny opening next to the door of his cell, and get the key inside the lock with a broomstick and a mirror. Escape From Pretoria, a political thriller starring Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Ian Hart (Professor Quirrell) debuts in U.K. and U.S. cinemas tomorrow, March 6th. He signalled his wish to be included in any possible escape plan to Jenkin even before the idea was presented to him, after Jenkin had mentioned he and Lee had brought some money into prison. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, he says. Moumbaris was charged under the Terrorism Act in January 1973. Hirson then communicated with Joe Slovo in Mozambique and a date for the escape was set and an escape vehicle arranged. [6], At the end of 1970 Jenkin enrolled at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science degree at the end of 1973. Dirigida por Francis Annan y con Daniel Radcliffe en el papel principal, est basada en el libro que el mismo Jenkin escribi relatando la horrible experiencia vivida poco antes de los 80, cuando fue apresado. He adds: I have probably different emotions as people. Then I went to Australia to the set and we would often sit together and hed ask me about particular scenes, what was going through my head while this was happening. SLOUCHED on his bed in the small, dingy cell of the notorious jail where he was destined to spend the next 12 years, Tim Jenkin had a flash of inspiration. To make matters more complicated, he could only unlock his cell door from the outside, and used a broomstick he had been allowed to hang on to for cleaning with the key attached to the end so that he could reach. We has skype chats, he wanted to learn about the character and the accent, Jenkin, now-71, explained of the study Radcliffe did to ace his portrayal. Unwilling to take any more risks, they had to leave this final barrier untested until the night of the actual escape. He lived and worked in UK and later moved to South Africa. The ol razzle dazzle where his journey looks nothing like how it has been portrayed on screen, In a way the real story is even more exciting, its just too long to fit into the 100 minutes, so theyve taken license to summaries a whole lot of events into one. Then, one day he was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the key could be wooden. In my early years I had learned to pick the back door lock at home with a piece of wire, he explained. After a few tries, he managed to get the key to the right position and the door opened. [22], In 2013, the story of the prison escape was dramatised in the 7th episode of the 2nd season of Breakout, a television series made by National Geographic TV channel dramatising real-life prison escapes. They were determined to fight the countys unjust apartheid regime which had enforced racial segregation since 1948. "We would go to crowded bus stations and markets and leave them. and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. [26], When living in Camden, still with the ANC, Jenkin devised a system for encrypted communication for the ANC to communicate with their agents. While the first step toward freedom might have been exhilarating, it was far from their most momentous achievement. He continued: [It was] the only thing we managed to keep; we got rid of the all the keys immediately, but for some reason we kept thatprobably as a weapon. It took them a year to get as far as door eleven, the final one. In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. I just couldnt believe it., Stephen remembers the exact moment he had heard the lock click. There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis, said Stephen, recalling how he kept him distracted. It's not intended as a . This led him to learning more about the injustice in his own country. Home Office Minister Mark Carlisle said no evidence had been found at that time of South African responsibility for illegal activities, but appropriate action would be taken should it appear. Door three fortunately worked with the same key as the inner cell door. There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis. On 9 January Moumbaris left for France and was welcomed upon arrival in Paris by Marie-Jos (whom he had not seen for seven years), his mother, 7-year-old son Boris, and many friends and well-wishers. The film will be especially endearing to viewers who love to hone in on how to, for example, make tools that look innocuous and can be easily hidden. He moved frequently around the country while growing up and went to school predominantly in . "This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor," he added. As he says, for me its just like going to the movies. "We were right underneath an armed guard but he didnt see us. Believe it or not, the chisel they used in the film [to beat down the door], was the actual chisel we used on the front door.. [3], On 23 October 1973, the matter of possible theft of documents from the Clapham Common home of Moumbaris and his wife was raised in the UK parliament by Labour party MP Alex Lyon. [35][36] Filming of Escape from Pretoria began in Adelaide, South Australia, in March and April 2019, with Daniel Webber joining the cast as Lee. Others were also caught, but they succeeded in infiltrating a number of trained militants. Based on the real-life prison break of two political captives, Escape From Pretoria is a race-against-time thriller set in the tumultuous apartheid days of South Africa. folktandvrden karlskoga flyttar . In front of him was a lock - and the sight of it was enough to propel him to his feet and set to work making a wooden key that would help him and fellow inmate Stephen Lee make it to freedom. 3 views today. The last 30-odd years have seen such a wealth of diverse, resonant personal histories emerge from the ashes of apartheid not least that of the actual, not-white Mandela that " Escape from. Written and directed by Francis Annan, the historical thriller sheds light on how Stephen and Tim managed to defy all expectations and escape from the Pretoria Central Prison. "Incarcerated in Pretoria Maximum Security Prison, Jenkin and Lee - joined by fellow inmate and French national Alex Moumbaris - decide to send the regime a clear message and escape. Francis Annan, a young and gifted British director, had hoped his debut film would be seen on the big screen. He is known for his political activism against the apartheid. South African Tim Jenkins' (Daniel Radcliffe) sentence of 12 years in Pretoria's maximum-security prison has to be seen as a warning to other white people repulsed by apartheid. After leaving . Adapted from Jenkin's memoir of his time served and resourcefully cut short as a South African political prisoner in the country's darkest . While Tim - the technical mastermind - was sentenced to 12 years in jail, his friend Stephen got eight years. It was a little noise that promised a big prize freedom. As clunkily deployed in the [] "You are the white Mandela," says a ham-faced warden, all but spitting in the face of anti-apartheid activist Tim Jenkin upon his arrival at Pretoria Local Prison in 1978. Again Tims ingenuity was tested. Meanwhile, it may struggle to find much of a fanbase in its own country of setting, where audiences might reasonably wonder why at least one South African actor couldnt have been cast in a principal role. The only languages allowed to be spoken during visits were the two "official" languages, English and Afrikaans, but as Boris only spoke French and was deemed too young to be a security risk, allowed them to converse in French. [Part 1: Intro] South Africa is a beautiful country and home to many unique languages and cultures, such as the Afrikaner (or Boer). The inmate took a piece of paper, stuffed it into the lock using a knife and measured the depth. Once Tim had cracked the third door, inmate Alexis Moumbaris, pictured, joined the escape effort Each night after lights went out, the trio sneaked out of their cells - once Tim had used the. Escape from Pretoria at IMDb "20 Films That Starred 3 Or More Harry Potter Actors". We have a base load of around 70 The video features excerpts from interviews with Jenkin, Lee, Moumbaris and Goldberg filmed in 2012, in between re-enacted scenes of the prison escape. Escape from Pretoria is a 2020 Australian prison film co-written and directed by Francis Annan, based on the real-life prison escape by three political prisoners in South Africa in 1979, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Daniel Webber. In the end, it was the selfless actions of a fourth prisoner, Denis Goldberg - who had been sentenced alongside Mandela, and who would ultimately serve 22 years - who made their bid for freedom a reality. As our central trio trace a taut treasure trail of keyholes and cupboards, Annans direction settles into a smooth groove of high-tension setpieces, teased out to breath-suspending effect. After months of meticulous surveillance, breath-taking ingenuity, and in a race against time . He also once unfurled an ANC banner from a building in Durban,[5] and was subsequently entrusted with more risky assignments. They moved to London in 1961,[1] where Moumbaris worked for the IT department of Reuters-Comtel. Eventually, the day comes when Jenkin, Lee, and Fontaine try their escape, and by some miracle, it works. This one actually has its roots in a real-life story, as it'll be based on Tim Jenkin's autobiography Inside Out: Escape From Pretoria Prison. For three years they set off harmless leaflet bombs - explosive devices at the bottom of a shopping bag that could distribute 500 propaganda pamphlets in one 'bang' - spreading word of the liberation movement in public places. He successfully distributed leaflets this way on Cape Town's Grand Parade. . [7] Goldberg distracted the warden while the three made their escape. 40 years after his mad dash for freedom with his collection of wooden keys and one chisel which was, unbelievably, successful Jenkins story is being told in the feature film, with Daniel Radcliffe playing the lead role. He was born in Egypt to Greek parents, grew up in Australia, lived and worked in the UK, was imprisoned in South Africa and now lives in France. Moumbaris grew cynical about these claims but continued to see him as it was another visit from an outsider, and he could ask him questions about France. Its reputation as a hellhole jail remains, and these days it houses - among 7,000 inmates - none other than disgraced Olympic champion Oscar Pistorius. [9] His ongoing task of generating enthusiasm amongst the other inmates for the escape plan was onerous, and the stress affected his health. Escape from Pretoria. The casting of Daniel Radcliffe as Jenkin lends it some marquee appeal, but this still feels like efficient VOD fodder, sure to age as memorably as Stander, that other blandly internationalized biographical romp pulled from the same passage of South African history. The lifelong supporters of the Nelson-Mandela-led African National Congress, they strove to mobilize the people to abolish segregation. "You get back to your cell and youd think, 'OK, its over, I can relax' but you couldnt.". Alex Moumbaris (section Escape) and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. We were contemplating escape even before our conviction. Jenkin had smuggled some money into prison. There were a few worrying signs that Jenkin was being monitored, but he went to London to see Robin for six weeks and returned without incident. [9] When an escape committee of three prisoners was set up, Moumbaris (and not Jenkin or Lee) was selected as he was "the most vociferous" and a good negotiator. The pair ended up behind bars in the South African city of Tshwane in 1979 due to their roles as white supporters of Nelson Mandelas then-banned African National Congress (ANC). In 2006 a dangerous inmate, Annanias Mathe (a serial rapist charged with 51 counts of murder), got out but was caught again two weeks later. [9], In February 1974, Jenkin and Lee left the country in order to join the ANC in London, with the intention of helping to bring about change in South Africa. It's not intended as a compliment: "The most deluded of them all," the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. The worst time was being put in solitary confinement., Describing the prison, he says: There were numerous gates, many metal grill doors. On Alexandre Moumbaris - not on Leonard Fontaine their escape to pick the back door at! 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