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. Each night after lights went out, the trio sneaked out of their cells - once Tim had used the first key to unlock them all - to try and get through an extra door. That last scene is about as accurate as you can make it, Jenkin says of the very real moment the escapees werent able to open the ninth and final door to freedom. Surely his amazing story has had the big Hollywood sparkle, though? Success came after many long nights of painstaking effort and risk. Messages were typed into a computer, encrypted and saved to audio cassette, then sent from a public callbox to an answering machine. [21], Along with Lee, Jenkin was charged with "producing and distributing 18 different pamphlets on behalf of banned organisations" including the South African Communist Party, the ANC and its armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, from 1975 to 1978, and urging people to join the liberation movement. I loaned it to them for the film., No longer having any of the original keys, not even as a keepsake of another life, Jenkin says: I have replicas that look like them, but not the real ones. Then, one day he was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the key could be wooden. "Im glad I played the part I did," he said. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Shop Escape from Pretoria. This, along with his generally scruffy appearance and his refusal to keep his cell tidy led to a bad reputation amongst the prison wardens meant he had never been promoted beyond the "B" group in his six years in prison, while the others had reached "A" within two. He also once unfurled an ANC banner from a building in Durban,[5] and was subsequently entrusted with more risky assignments. Lee worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, while Jenkin ran the "cell" on his own in Cape Town. framkalla filmrulle sjlv . Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. Tim was inspired by the book Papillon later made into a film starring Dustin Hoffman about a French convicts escape from a jungle island. The worst time was being put in solitary confinement., Describing the prison, he says: There were numerous gates, many metal grill doors. [28], In 1987 his book, Escape from Pretoria, was published in London. [11] The wardens were all Afrikaans-speaking and were not fluent in English, and while most of the prisoners were fairly fluent in Afrikaans, they were not familiar with the topics they talked about. Escape from Pretoria. I was so worried it was making a tremendous noise. 1978 [33][34], In May 2017, it was announced that production would start on a film of Jenkin's book, produced by David Barron and starring Daniel Radcliffe as Jenkin and Ian Hart as Goldberg. Stephen and Tim had to open 11 doors in total, some right next to the guards' office. [2], Moumbaris became involved with the ANC at a time when the organisation had suffered many setbacks. They became friends and, in a South African version of Samizdat, Jenkins and Lee sought out literature banned by the ruling National Party. After months of meticulous surveillance, breath-taking ingenuity, and in a race against time . "That gave me the depth of the lock inside, which was the same measurement as the key. I just couldnt believe it., Stephen remembers the exact moment he had heard the lock click. They moved to London in 1961,[1] where Moumbaris worked for the IT department of Reuters-Comtel. They then photocopied it and swapped it with other students. 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. [5] As Marie-Jos was pregnant at the time and under pressure from the French ambassador, she was not charged but instead deported back to France[3] after four months. He successfully distributed leaflets this way on Cape Town's Grand Parade. At this point, a third prisoner, Alex Moumbaris joined the escape effort. Watch on. Its surprising that its taken this long to reach the screen, given how sveltely his gripping story fits into a genre-film uniform. 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. To make this possible, they befriended another inmate, Alex Moumbaris. [7] Goldberg distracted the warden while the three made their escape. What 15 KB (566 words) - 03:39, 25 February 2021 Grant Piro Broadcasting Corporation. Tim did eventually carve a key to fit, but when he tried it the bolt jammed and he had to return to his cell. Characterization takes a distant back seat to the ingenious practicalities of the mission itself. Stephen and Tim, 64, whose story is told tonight in Breakout on the National Geographic Channel, were supporters of Nelson Mandelas ANC who had been put under surveillance by South Africas secret police for their clandestine activity. ; nyexaminerad lnespecialist ln; kallades en flygare webbkryss; lud zbunjen normalan 9; bands with moon in the name Door three fortunately worked with the same key as the inner cell door. Door five and six were near the night wardens office, so they hatched a plan to leave dummies made from boiler suits stuffed with sheets in their beds so they could hide in a cupboard while he went to check on their cells. It couldnt be reached by his cell, so he had to gradually fit that second key to size doing stints cleaning the corridor during prisoners' chore times. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Using the broom he was allowed to keep to sweep his cell, he created another genius contraption. All Rights Reserved. The way Jenkin speaks about the escape is with a sort of whimsy, despite the danger theyd be in if they were caught suppose with 40 years between you and the act, theres been time to reflect. 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). [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". But he needed to create another one to make it into the next part of the prison. On 11 December 1979 the three escapees managed to execute their master plan, against all odds, and found themselves outside the prison, in civilian clothes. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. 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. Two years later, Marie-Jos gave birth to a daughter, Zo, who was born on 11 December 1981, the second anniversary of the escape. The wooden key didnt work at first. The lifelong supporters of the Nelson-Mandela-led African National Congress, they strove to mobilize the people to abolish segregation. The arrests at Liliesleaf and convictions which followed at the Rivonia Trial in 1963-4 were followed by widespread roundups of activists and leaders, including Bram Fischer and Wilton Mkwayi. He adds: I have probably different emotions as people. Alex Moumbaris was born in Egypt to Greek parents and grew up in Australia. 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. It was a little noise that promised a big prize freedom. But, he says, they were determined to break free. Recalling their rather more successful attempt, Stephen explained: The sense of freedom was amazing. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. While Tim - the technical mastermind - was sentenced to 12 years in jail, his friend Stephen got eight years. su amigo Stephen Lee y a Alex . In prison they met Denis Goldberg and on Alexandre Moumbaris - not on Leonard Fontaine. Jenkin was born in Cape Town and educated at Rondebosch Boys' Prep and Boys' High School,[2][3] matriculating aged 17. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with theMetro.co.ukentertainment team by emailing uscelebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes, says Tim, who now lives in Johannesburg. Distractify is a registered trademark. Escape from Pretoria airs on Saturday, 4 July, at 20:00 on TNT (DStv 137) We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred. [2], Moumbaris was still living in Normandy as of July 2017[update]. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. "You get back to your cell and youd think, 'OK, its over, I can relax' but you couldnt.". Actor: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. But when it comes to watching him break out of prison all over again, though, there is no stirring feeling, no rush of emotions that come back to Jenkin. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. In fact, things have been kept so by the book, so to speak, the actors used the actual tool Jenkin and Lee as well as third prisoner Alex Moumbaris employed in their daring escape. United Nations High Commission for Refugees, "Press Conference by O. R. Tambo, Introducing Alexandre Moumbaris, Stephen Lee and Timothy Jenkin who Escaped from Prison in South Africa", "Ambassador Molekane receives stalwart of the apartheid struggle Alex Moumbaris at the SA Embassy", "Media Statement by the Chancellor of the National Orders and Director-General in the Presidency, Dr. Cassius Lubisi, at the Union Buildings, Pretoria", "Daniel Radcliffe to Star in Prison-Break Drama 'Escape From Pretoria', "Sam Neill joins Daniel Radcliffe in 'Escape From Pretoria', "Adelaide transformed into apartheid-era Cape Town for Escape From Pretoria filming", "Daniel Radcliffe touches down in Adelaide for new movie", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alex_Moumbaris&oldid=1101678249, All Wikipedia articles written in South African English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from July 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 August 2022, at 07:50. [2] In June 2018, he was received by South African ambassador Rapu Molekane at the embassy in Paris. I made the first key in the first week. He worked for the ANC Elections Briefing Unit from 1994 (the year of the first fully democratic elections in South Africa), before being appointed head of their Electronic Information Unit in Cape Town later that year. 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. The key, fortunately, also worked for the door of Stephen's neighbouring cell. It's not intended as a . "This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor," he added. The escape preparations brought some differences of opinion amongst the political prisoners, but they remained comrades and all contributed in some way to the escape effort. 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. Jenkin hatches a plan to whittle wooden facsimiles of the keys to every door separating them from the outside world an almost naively simple scheme that necessitates a complex network of hiding places and bluffs, as vindictive guards begin to suspect something is afoot. The first to get out of the toughest jail in South Africa, Stephen and Tim earned renown with a borderline genius hack. On the 11 December 1979 Alex Moumbaris and two other prisoners, Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, made a daring escape from Pretoria Central Prison. Stephen deliberately engineered a trip to the dentist that allowed him to pick up vital information for their potential route out. He lived and worked in UK and later moved to South Africa. 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. Locked up in a maximum-security jail for setting off harmless leaflet propaganda bombs spreading dissent against the apartheid regime in 1970s South Africa, Stephen and friend Tim Jenkin were about to embark on one of the most audacious prison breaks in history. [18], Jenkin returned to South Africa in 1991 to manage the ANC's communications network. The sense of freedom was amazing. They were so convinced that they'd soon find a way out that they had money smuggled in to use for taxi fares once they got out. He returned to France after his escape. Timothy Peter Jenkin (born 1948) is a South African writer, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. Actually were Tim to 12 years and Stephen to 8 years in Pretoria Prison shipped after they Handed out leaflets with a (harmless) explosion. We had . Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. As such, they were brought to the attention of South Africa's secret police. [21], In May 2011, Moumbaris was charged with making a "Public call to discrimination" and set to appear in court in Flers, in Normandy. He escaped with fellow activists Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris. He tells how Tim had been given a 12-year sentence and he had got eight years inside. For other inquiries, Contact Us. 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. 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. With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. 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. In the 1990s he and others created an association dedicated to the memory of Joseph Stalin, later dissolved but re-formed, for his role in creating socialism, with free health and education. 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. Just supporting the liberation movement was deemed to be terrorism.. While their revolutionary deeds helped to change the course of history, their prison escape was that which garnered them real fame. Denis Goldberg first joined in with the intention of fleeing as well, but he eventually withdrew and stayed on as an advisor. Shooting on location in Adelaide, Australia a handsome but none-too-convincing stand-in for the South African highveld in exterior scenes DP Geoffrey Hall keeps the camera moves antsy but not fussy. 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. [37][38] Jenkin spent some time in Adelaide, advising Radcliffe on accent and other aspects of the film, as well as playing as an extra, playing a prisoner next to Radcliffe in the visiting room. Stephen began to experiment with wooden keys the exact replicas used by prison guards during his compulsory shifts at the prison's wood workshop. [4] He had not grown up in a political family, but when in Britain associated with Communists there and he was inspired by the communist resistance to the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II. 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 Prison. Through reading material banned by the government, they came to see the "naked reality" of apartheid and the undemocratic behavior of the ruling party, and felt a burning desire to effect positive change, which, Jenkin concluded, was only possible using unconstitutional means under the current regime. 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. Ze worden op heterdaad betrapt en veroordeeld tot een jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central Prison. This had involved a great deal of planning but there were still many challenges in the execution, travelling via Angola, Zambia and Tanzania finally to London. 'Escape from Pretoria' will . 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Its reputation as a hellhole jail remains, and these days it houses - among 7,000 inmates - none other than disgraced Olympic champion Oscar Pistorius. I wasnt wondering, oh will they make it?. Locked up in a maximum-security jail for leaflets against apartheid, they embarked on one of the most audacious escapes in history. "We would go to crowded bus stations and markets and leave them. It was hugely emotional. 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. This was how he knew how long the key needed to be. and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. They both found their sociology course disappointing, as the material reinforced the status quo of apartheid. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Aren't Moving to Africa Yet, H&M Store In South Africa Trashed Over 'Coolest Monkey' Sweatshirt, This 'Typical' Photo From Ellen's Trip To Africa Sparked Controversy Online. The video features excerpts from interviews with Moumbaris, Jenkin, Lee and fellow inmate Denis Goldberg filmed in 2012, in between re-enacted scenes of the prison escape. In June 1978, Stephen Lee and Tim Jenkin were sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison for producing political pamphlets during the Apartheid. why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoriavsters friluftsomrde. Escape from Pretoria. 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. However, after the escape plan had captured his imagination, he cleaned up and changed his attitude, and was soon promoted to the "A" group. [2] However the boat had developed engine problems and had to return to Somalia. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. After leaving . Australian actor and former elite cyclist Nathan Page, best known internationally for his nuanced portrayal of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012), was born into an air force family in Perth on 25 August 1971. The initial plan was that eight of the political prisoners would escape, leaving behind two who were nearing the end of their sentences. As it is, its been done cheaply and (sort of) cheerfully as an Australian production by British writer-director Francis Annan, focusing heavily on suspense mechanics as if to modestly understate its factual heft. Fortunately marks on the wood showed where the key was jamming, so Tim knew which parts to file down. Thence to Mozambique, and, via contact with FRELIMO, to Angola, where from the ANC office in Luanda they were able to make phone calls to their families, and were also given the news Lee was on his way to join them at the airport. In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. He moved frequently around the country while growing up and went to school predominantly in . Adams workaday screenplay, the actors signature anxious-earnest mien is leaned on a lot here, as is his overly explanatory voiceover, which provides a broad primer on apartheid for any uninformed viewers, along with a reminder that freedom and equality should be fought for at all costs.. Hirson then communicated with Joe Slovo in Mozambique and a date for the escape was set and an escape vehicle arranged. He reconnoitred the East Coast from Kosi Bay to East London in the course of his trips. We have a base load of around 70 The pair were initially kept in solitary confinement for a month before being charged with political "terrorism" in a trial in June 1978. Jenkins was not going to help the cause by sitting in prison, and he set about planning an escape. He returned to France after his escape. After a few tries, he managed to get the key to the right position and the door opened. He was accused of having published, in the Press Newsletter (BIP), the article "Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) 2010", summing up the activities and successes of the BDS campaign during 2010. One of the intending escapees, Denis Goldberg, communicated with comrades in the ANC through coded letters sent to Baruch Hirson in London. [2], He and Jenkin carried out a first trial run of the escape plan, and were involved in a couple of scrapes which nearly led to discovery in the lead-up to the escape. 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