I wasnt wondering, oh will they make it?. Its when it shoots for more historical import that it falls somewhat short. There was also a six-metre high barbed-wire perimeter fence. When the night came, Denis Goldberg, a political prisoner who would serve 22 years, distracted the guards. 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. He is known for his political activism against the apartheid rgime in South Africa in the 1970s, and his subsequent incarceration in, and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local . AM. The real-life Goldberg was much more supportively involved in the prison-break strategy; if the script does him something of a disservice for the purposes of greater narrative friction, thats not the fastest and loosest it plays with facts. [17] Lee, having many friends in Johannesburg, thought it best to contact them in the first instance, so the group split at that point, making plans to meet in London. With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. For other inquiries, Contact Us. He was also influenced by the Vietnam War and the Greek coup of the colonels in 1967. Escape From Pretoria premiered on March 4, 2020. After months of meticulous surveillance, breath-taking ingenuity, and in a race against time . Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. I was so worried it was making a tremendous noise. Adams and Karol Griffiths, director Annan certainly preserved that unique touch but also added some very entertaining and wonderful cinematic elements to it. "That gave me the depth of the lock inside, which was the same measurement as the key. All Rights Reserved. Why? 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. 2020 PG-13 1h 46m DVD Rent this movie Play trailer. He reconnoitred the East Coast from Kosi Bay to East London in the course of his trips. La historia del activista sudafricano Tim Jenkin inspira Fuga de Pretoria, . In July, four ANC operatives including author Jeremy Cronin were arrested doing similar work in Cape Town and were given prison sentences. I just couldnt believe it., Stephen remembers the exact moment he had heard the lock click. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. 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. Timothy Peter Jenkin (born 1948) is a South African writer, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. 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. Jenkin had smuggled some money into prison. While the first step toward freedom might have been exhilarating, it was far from their most momentous achievement. Once the plan is set in motion, the film itself feels unlocked: As a re-eenacted chapter of anti-apartheid history, Escape from Pretoria may not feel entirely authentic, but it knows its prison-movie terrain, from Alcatraz to Shawshank, inside out. Copyright 2023 Distractify. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. They then photocopied it and swapped it with other students. Jenkin and Lee, furious about being imprisoned for their thoughts, wanted to escape to prove to the world their differences, and of course, to fight for democracy in their country. But, he says, they were determined to break free. 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. . In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. [6], In June 1973, Moumbaris was sentenced to 12 years in prison for conspiring with the ANC to "instigate violent revolution in South Africa', aiding guerrillas to enter the country, distributing ANC literature and reconnoitering the coast to find places for the sea-borne landing of guerrillas and arms. 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. 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. [11] In March 1976 Lee went to Johannesburg to look for work, and the ANC coincidentally sent them both on their first mission, to disperse leaflets urging support for the ANC via a leaflet bomb (using a new design developed by Jenkin) in Johannesburg, close to the anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre on 21 March. 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 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. "[This] was hugely emotional," Stephen described The Daily Mirror how the first breakthrough made him feel. Jenkin was born in Cape Town and educated at Rondebosch Boys' Prep and Boys' High School, matriculating aged 17. 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. "After that I took a chance and took the parts we needed, including a file, back to my cell in a Thermos flask.. While awaiting clearance for membership, Jenkin worked as a social worker at a reform school in Swindon. So when his key worked, it was momentous. Using an ingenious homemade wooden key attached, like a crankshaft, to the end of a broomstick, Tim had just got through his outer cell door. 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. Moumbaris was charged under the Terrorism Act in January 1973. [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. 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. 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. 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. On the 11 December 1979 Alex Moumbaris and two other prisoners, Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, made a daring escape from Pretoria Central Prison. I knew it was curtains for us. [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. Escape from Pretoria makes an ideal everyman out of Daniel Radcliffe The actor plays Tim Jenkin, a real-life political prisoner during apartheid-era South Africa, who made a daring escape in 1979 framkalla filmrulle sjlv . [31][32] 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. 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. The moment we heard the knocking on the door, we knew that was it, Tim told The Times. Escape From Pretoria (2020 ) Directed and Written: Francis Annan 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. more Rent SAR 14.99 Buy SAR 49.99 Trailers Ratings and Reviews 4.5 COMMON SENSE Jenkins was not going to help the cause by sitting in prison, and he set about planning an escape. We started just before the Soweto uprising in 1976 and carried on for three years. In September, he and Lee hung a 10-metre-long banner with the words "ANC LIVES" from a high building in the centre of Cape Town, along with a timed device which distributed hundreds of leaflets over the crowds below. It took them a year to get as far as door eleven, the final one. To make this possible, they befriended another inmate, Alex Moumbaris. They were very big locks so you could see the marks on the inside. . 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. Fortunately marks on the wood showed where the key was jamming, so Tim knew which parts to file down. From the jail they took trains, hitchhiked and walk 25 miles to make it to the border of Swaziland - now called Eswatini. 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. 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. I got a piece of paper and, using a knife, pressed it into the lock. On the outside of the first door was another door made of solid metal, but the lock was on the other side and there was no way of reaching it from inside the cell. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. They both found their sociology course disappointing, as the material reinforced the status quo of apartheid. During this time they learnt of the activities of the African National Congress (ANC), which was an illegal organisation in South Africa. It was December 11, 1979, 18 months after our conviction, Stephen says. 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. . "Im glad that we escaped. Tim's door was just the beginning. skuggans caf lngtora. After months of meticulous surveillance, breath-taking ingenuity, and in a race against time as the authorities strengthen the prison security defenses, the group craft wooden keys for each of the 10 steel doors separating them from the main door and freedom. "Im glad I played the part I did," he said. "Just in case, we had brought a chisel. [28], In 1987 his book, Escape from Pretoria, was published in London. We walked out as if we had every right to be there. In 2015 he went on a national tour in Australia organised by Karel Boele speaking about his escape and community currencies. Breakout, exclusive to National Geographic Channel, Fridays, 9pm. But fortunately the metal of the keyhole marked where it was getting jammed, meaning Tim could accurately file it down to size. His wife was detained during the same period of his detention, but was later released without charge. 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). So it is a very strange sort of thing., Jenkin continues: It is very exciting [to watch] but I knew the outcome. Surely his amazing story has had the big Hollywood sparkle, though? Moumbaris is renamed Leonard Fontaine and played by Mark Leonard Winter.[27][28]. In order to successfully escape from the prison in December 1979, Jenkin unlocked nine doors while Goldberg diverted the warden. We had to make these parts under the noses of the guards. 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. [2] In 1995, Jenkin wrote a 6-part article series called Talking to Vula: The Story of the Secret Underground Communications Network of Operation Vula. [25][26] Filming of Escape from Pretoria began in Adelaide, South Australia, in March 2019, with Daniel Webber joining the cast as Lee. Messages were typed into a computer, encrypted and saved to audio cassette, then sent from a public callbox to an answering machine. Eenmaal onder de vleugels van politiek activist Denis Goldberg besluiten ze om, samen. This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor.. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, he says. After leaving . Lee worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, while Jenkin ran the "cell" on his own in Cape Town. Escape from Pretoria sees Daniel Radcliffe in a very different role from his work in the Harry Potter franchise. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Daniel Radcliffe stars as inmate Tim Jenkin in new film 'Escape To Pretoria' about the famous South African prison break in 1979, The film is set during the during the Apartheid era in Capetown, South Africa, The Pretoria Central Prison divided up prisoners depending on their race, Its gallows, which are left untouched today, could end the lives of seven at once, Sitting on his bed in his jail cell, Tim realised he could fashion a key to unlock the door, Tim was sentenced to 12 years behind bars for supporting Nelson Mandela's ANC, His friend Stephen Lee received eight years for his political "terrorism" fighting apartheid, Once Tim had cracked the third door, inmate Alexis Moumbaris, pictured, joined the escape effort, After leaving South Africa via Tanzania, the pair - now in their 70s - settled in the UK, New Amazon Prime documentary explores the case of Oscar Pistorius who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, Inside audacious Escape From Pretoria where prisoners fled hellhole jail by carving wooden keys for ELEVEN metal doors, Kate and Rio Ferdinand had 'heated' rows over her pregnancy that ended in tears as she thought he 'didn't care', Ed Sheeran reveals wife Cherry 'had a tumour' that could only be treated after birth of 2nd baby as he announces album, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Tiene 72 aos y ha escrito varios libros. [15] Both of them and Lee felt throughout the sooner they got out, the greater the chances of being discovered; the others warned against impatience but agreed the participants should as far as possible be in control.[16]. This time they came up with a plan to leave dummies in their beds, sneak downstairs, hide in a cupboard and wait for the warder to go upstairs. Now Escape From Pretoria tells the story of Jenkin and Stephen Lee, two white South African activists, imprisoned in 1978 for working on behalf of the African National Congress (ANC), and their escape from the notorious white mans Robben Island, Pretoria Prison. The system was never cracked and helped the ANC coordinate in the run up to Nelson Mandela's release from prison. Here they met Oliver Tambo and Alfred Nzo, President and Secretary-General of the ANC respectively, and gave a press conference on 2 January 1980. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. It was hugely emotional, Stephen recalls. [Part 1: Intro] South Africa is a beautiful country and home to many unique languages and cultures, such as the Afrikaner (or Boer). lindbacken fastigheter [2] He started associating with African National Congress (ANC) exiles and beginning in 1967, he travelled in and out of South Africa transporting literature for the movement. Undeterred, Tim said: From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes.. This virus has brutally disrupted many cinematic dreams. Luckily, the warder blamed one of his colleagues. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. While cleaning their corridor outside, Tim got his second key to fit but the bolt became stuck. A guard who found it assumed a colleague was to blame. [7] A new edition was published in Johannesburg and London as Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison in 2003. From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes, says Tim, who now lives in Johannesburg. . Given the limited backstory filled in by Annan and L.H. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, Stephen recalled. [22], After their incarceration, Jenkin, Lee and several other inmates began plotting an escape, which would involve copies of several prison keys that Jenkin made from wood. However, escaping - something no inmate had successfully done before - was going to be no easy task. 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. Alex Moumbaris: Political activist, Political activist, Activist, From: Egypt. While their revolutionary deeds helped to change the course of history, their prison escape was that which garnered them real fame. Goldberg distracted the warden while the three made their escape. My heart was racing. 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Jordan Meets Reporter at 'Creed III' Premiere Who 'Teased Him all the Time' in High School: 'I Was the Corny Kid, Right? There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis, said Stephen, recalling how he kept him distracted. He became instrumental to the escape plan in several ways, making the early suggestion any escape plan would have to involve the making of keys,[7] providing a hacksaw which he had secreted after plumbers had left it behind,[8] and getting involved in some of the riskier aspects of the planning and testing of the scheme. I felt so elated. el de su arresto y el de su escape. [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. [9] His ongoing task of generating enthusiasm amongst the other inmates for the escape plan was onerous, and the stress affected his health. 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. 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. Distractify is a registered trademark. This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor.. "I wanted to run but we just kept walking to the railway station, where we used our money to get in a taxi," Stephen said. 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. Upon legal advice, both pleaded guilty to all charges. The pair were initially kept in solitary confinement for a month before being charged with political "terrorism" in a trial in June 1978. It was hugely emotional. 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. I felt so elated.". There he met and married a French woman, Marie-Jos. 12 'To build solidarity - that was my task', "Daniel Radcliffe to Star in Prison-Break Drama 'Escape From Pretoria', "Pretoria Prison break: Amazing story of the daring men who escaped notorious apartheid regime jail", "Adelaide transformed into apartheid-era Cape Town for Escape From Pretoria filming", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tim_Jenkin&oldid=1137067993, This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 16:48. El primer adelanto de este dramtico filme nos da un vistazo a la difcil situacin por la que pas para intentar sobrevivir. 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. Together with his co-writers L.H. Their arrest was part of a government sting to apprehend operatives from "the Moumbaris Adventurer Episode". Apprehend operatives from `` the Moumbaris Adventurer Episode '' [ 28 ] these under... Was it, Tim got his second key to fit but the became. Stephen described the Daily Mirror how the first step toward freedom might have been exhilarating, it was gut-wrenching length... Something no inmate had successfully done before - was going to let out! Activist and former political prisoner who would serve 22 years, distracted guards. Adventurer Episode '' Pretoria prison in December 1979, Jenkin worked as a social worker at a school. 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