"The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. A lot of people cant understand how we got the shape of the key, but if you break it down most of the dimensions you get from the lock itself, you measure the hole, Jenkin explains like its nothing. The third partner in the escape, Egyptian-born activist Alex Moumbaris, has been fictionalized as enigmatic Frenchman Leonard (Mark Leonard Winter), who has no discernible history or motivation at all, while two black allies in the plan are marginal presences at best. It's not intended as a compliment: "The most deluded of them all," the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. Copyright 2023 Distractify. [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. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, Stephen recalled. "Im glad that we escaped. When he finally unlocked his cell door after two whole months of filing, he was overjoyed, Boom this thing just slid open, absolutely smoothly. [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. The leaflet bombs were effective in spreading the anti-apartheid message, Stephen says. Director Francis Annan and his co-writer L.H . 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. Adapted from Jenkins memoir of his time served and resourcefully cut short as a South African political prisoner in the countrys darkest days of white supremacy, Francis Annans film works effectively as a straight-up jailbreak thriller, well-oiled in greasy B-movie tradition. Jenkin says that he'd always thought his book was "good movie material" and he wasn't wrong. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. 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 . 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. People said how can you make keys out of wood, they wouldnt be strong enough, but when we broke them up it was quite a mission, we had to use the chisel.. [14], Undeterred, Jenkin continued the work in Cape Town, finding a new premises and regularly changing their printing equipment, and both carried out further leaflet bombings in Johannesburg. It took them months to crack the fourth lock. We would spot the night warden and your heart is just pumping," said Tim. All Rights Reserved. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. Alex Moumbaris: Political activist, Political activist, Activist, From: Egypt. They were determined to fight the countys unjust apartheid regime which had enforced racial segregation since 1948. But as Stephen would soon find out on a vital reconnaissance trip to the dentist, there were still a total of 10 doors separating them from freedom. 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. [13] Jenkin went to London at the request of the ANC in May 1976, while Lee continued to plant leaflet bombs around Johannesburg. 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 Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. We use cookies and similar tools that are . Tim did eventually carve a key to fit, but when he tried it the bolt jammed and he had to return to his cell. why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoriabegagnad frtltsmatta why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria 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. Hirson then communicated with Joe Slovo in Mozambique and a date for the escape was set and an escape vehicle arranged. 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). They were very big locks so you could see the marks on the inside. 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. Eventually, the day comes when Jenkin, Lee, and Fontaine try their escape, and by some miracle, it works. 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. Lee made an escape attempt and nearly succeeded. We got through the nine doors and then at the final door, we found we couldnt open the lock. Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. I felt so elated.". Nick Fentons editing, meanwhile, maintains a keen sense of physical space and strain, not least in one comically queasy scene where a dropped key must be retrieved with the aid of a broomstick and chewing gum. He is best known for his 1979 escape from Pretoria Local Prison (part of the Pretoria Central Prison complex), along with Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris. [13], Marie-Jos was repeatedly denied a visitor's visa to visit him in prison, and in February 1978 Moumbaris went on a hunger strike to try to force the authorities to let her in, but after 10 days realised the futility of this and gave up. He moved frequently around the country while growing up and went to school predominantly in . In an area called "The Pot", therewas a legendary gallows where seven could be hung at once. Locked up in a maximum-security jail for leaflets against apartheid, they embarked on one of the most audacious escapes in history. Eenmaal onder de vleugels van politiek activist Denis Goldberg besluiten ze om, samen. In June 1978, Stephen Lee and Tim Jenkin were sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison for producing political pamphlets during the Apartheid. Lying on his bunk one night, he gazed at the lock in front of him and had a flash of inspiration. Would you have the guts to chisel away keys out of wood in your prison cell to open the nine steel, guarded doors to your freedom right under the noses of violent prison wardens? Escape from Pretoria: Directed by Francis Annan. A guard who found it assumed a colleague was to blame. Shop Escape from Pretoria. Yet fellow prisoners, who had already spent years locked up behind the six-metre high barbed-wire perimeter fence, poured scorn on their ambitions. This led him to learning more about the injustice in his own country. Submitted by Mary Christine Part 1: Intro Part 2: The wasteland Part 3: Societal collapse Part 4: Final outcome Part 5: Doing good 2. He adds: I have probably different emotions as people. 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. Lee worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, while Jenkin ran the "cell" on his own in Cape Town. [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. 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. How does one who is an activist, not a locksmith even begin to fashion keys with no knowledge of the mechanisms? The key, fortunately, also worked for the door of Stephen's neighbouring cell. In my early years I had learned to pick the back door lock at home with a piece of wire, he says. He also . I knew it was curtains for us. 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. ', Super Mario Bros. 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I still have it in my toolbox and still use it as a normal tool. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. They achieved this mission, managing to distribute hundreds of leaflets by means of several leaflet bombs, the text of which is reproduced in Jenkin's memoir. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. They then photocopied it and swapped it with other students. Members' spirits were low and this combination of factors made it difficult for the ANC to re-infiltrate the combatants who had been trained abroad. Boom, the door just slid open, absolutely smoothly, he says. Watch on. [7] A new edition was published in Johannesburg and London as Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison in 2003. He is known for his political activism against the apartheid. Moumbaris's family migrated to Australia when he was young and he became a naturalised Australian citizen,[1] but he left for France when he was 16 years old. 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. [26], When living in Camden, still with the ANC, Jenkin devised a system for encrypted communication for the ANC to communicate with their agents. In December 1979, Jenkin, Lee, and fellow inmate Alex Moumbaris successfully escaped from the prison with Jenkin unlocking nine of its doors while Goldberg distracted the warden. Escape from Pretoria. ; nyexaminerad lnespecialist ln; kallades en flygare webbkryss; lud zbunjen normalan 9; bands with moon in the name 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. [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. 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. In July, four ANC operatives including author Jeremy Cronin were arrested doing similar work in Cape Town and were given prison sentences. Jenkin and Leejoined by fellow inmate and French national Alex Moumbarisdecide to send the regime a clear message and escape. [2], Moumbaris was still living in Normandy as of July 2017[update]. Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. It was dangerous, they did have regular inspections. 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 Pretoria. 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. [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. 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. 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. View our online Press Pack. 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. He also once unfurled an ANC banner from a building in Durban,[5] and was subsequently entrusted with more risky assignments. [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. Together with his co-writers L.H. Again Tims ingenuity was tested. So when his key worked, it was momentous. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. Escape From Pretoria (2020 ) Directed and Written: Francis Annan [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. This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor.. 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. 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. They became friends and, in a South African version of Samizdat, Jenkins and Lee sought out literature banned by the ruling National Party. [2] However the boat had developed engine problems and had to return to Somalia. After months of meticulous surveillance, breath-taking ingenuity, and in a race against time . What 15 KB (566 words) - 03:39, 25 February 2021 Grant Piro Broadcasting Corporation. 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. [12], After the success of their first mission, Jenkin worked on refining the mechanism by adding a triggering system to the leaflet bomb, so that they did not have to be close to it when it went off. He successfully distributed leaflets this way on Cape Town's Grand Parade. While the first step toward freedom might have been exhilarating, it was far from their most momentous achievement. He reconnoitred the East Coast from Kosi Bay to East London in the course of his trips. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. It took until the next day for guards to realise they were missing, and a huge police operation to recapture them was launched. Straining to listen through the grill in his prison cell door, Stephen Lee heard the satisfying click of a key turning in a lock. La historia del activista sudafricano Tim Jenkin inspira Fuga de Pretoria, . su amigo Stephen Lee y a Alex . We walked out as if we had every right to be there. 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Over a long series of dummy runs that took over a year to complete, they got as far as door 10 the door to the outside. Select Your Cookie Preferences. There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis. 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. However, after the escape plan had captured his imagination, he cleaned up and changed his attitude, and was soon promoted to the "A" group. Instead, 25 guerillas were infiltrated overland, with Moumbaris aiding with border reconnaissance and transport,[5] as commander of the receiving operation. 2020 PG-13 1h 46m DVD Rent this movie Play trailer. Actor: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Especially the ending of the film we had to break the final door, we were hoping to pull off the ultimate escape without leaving a trace. Tim, the technical expert of the pair, had devised a way of scattering banned leaflets by using explosive linked to a timer and detonator inside a carrier bag. I was so worried it was making a tremendous noise. 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