He also participated in a local parkrun, a hobby which he said stemmed back from his days of running to keep fit in prison. 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. "After that I took a chance and took the parts we needed, including a file, back to my cell in a Thermos flask.. Tim did eventually carve a key to fit, but when he tried it the bolt jammed and he had to return to his cell. He had big plans to shoot Escape from Pretoria in South Africa a couple of years ago, but the money fell through. 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. Shop Escape from Pretoria. [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. ', Super Mario Bros. 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For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. [39], Harry Potter of Jailbreaking: Tim Jenkin on Freedom, first fully democratic elections in South Africa, "Talking to Vula: The Story of the Secret Underground Communications Network of Operation Vula", "Press Conference by O. R. Tambo, Introducing Alexandre Moumbaris, Stephen Lee and Timothy Jenkin who Escaped from Prison in South Africa", "Should communities be able to design their own currencies? [19], In 2014 a documentary film called The Vula Connection, about Jenkin and his part in the creation of an ingenious secret communication system that enabled Vula operatives to penetrate South Africa's borders in secret, ultimately smuggling messages to the imprisoned Nelson Mandela, was made by Marion Edmunds. However, after the escape plan had captured his imagination, he cleaned up and changed his attitude, and was soon promoted to the "A" group. I started to carve a few little pieces of wood, one for the shaft and one for the bit of the key, Tim told National Geographic. Surely his amazing story has had the big Hollywood sparkle, though? [20] After a spell in the notorious John Vorster Square in Johannesburg, they were returned to Cape Town and after four weeks, allowed to see family, and held at Pollsmoor Prison as they awaited trial. 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. [2] He worked for about nine years before becoming involved with the ANC [3] as one of the "London Recruits". How does one who is an activist, not a locksmith even begin to fashion keys with no knowledge of the mechanisms? [25][26] Filming of Escape from Pretoria began in Adelaide, South Australia, in March 2019, with Daniel Webber joining the cast as Lee. Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. His wife was detained during the same period of his detention, but was later released without charge. Given the limited backstory filled in by Annan and L.H. While the first step toward freedom might have been exhilarating, it was far from their most momentous achievement. 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. 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. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Escape From Pretoria, the political thriller Annan co-wrote and directed, is based on a 1987 memoir by Tim Jenkin, in which Jenkin relates his 1979 escape from Pretoria Central Prison,. La historia del activista sudafricano Tim Jenkin inspira Fuga de Pretoria, . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. [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. 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. 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. 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. Sporting a squirrelly shag wig and a valiantly attempted but wayward Cape Town accent, Radcliffe plays Jenkin, a middle-class sociology student turned underground activist for the African National Congress, with his own brand of puppyish but righteous commitment. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, he says. 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. But we got away with it. 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. After a few tries, he managed to get the key to the right position and the door opened. It was dangerous, they did have regular inspections. 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. 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. Director Francis Annan and his co-writer L.H . With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. 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 chronicles their journey, shedding new light on how they managed to escape from prison. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. They caught us with printing equipment. Jenkin and Leejoined by fellow inmate and French national Alex Moumbarisdecide to send the regime a clear message and escape. . [4], After leaving school, he avoided conscription into the South African Defence Force, and worked at a variety of jobs for two years, with no particular interest in anything except motorcycle racing. As he says, for me its just like going to the movies. 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 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 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. Jenkins was not going to help the cause by sitting in prison, and he set about planning an escape. [7], Jenkin and Lee appeared at a press conference in Lusaka with Oliver Tambo on 2 January 1980 to tell their stories,[25] before moving to London, where Jenkin worked as a research officer for the International Defence and Aid Fund. Ze worden op heterdaad betrapt en veroordeeld tot een jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central Prison. Tim was inspired by the book Papillon later made into a film starring Dustin Hoffman about a French convicts escape from a jungle island. Eenmaal onder de vleugels van politiek activist Denis Goldberg besluiten ze om, samen. Escape from Pretoria at IMDb "20 Films That Starred 3 Or More Harry Potter Actors". [4] With bills to pay, he took a job as computer specialist with a subsidiary of the Socit Gnrale and became a shop steward for the Confdration Gnrale du Travail (CGT). Instead, 25 guerillas were infiltrated overland, with Moumbaris aiding with border reconnaissance and transport,[5] as commander of the receiving operation. lindbacken fastigheter After leaving . 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. They were determined to fight the countys unjust apartheid regime which had enforced racial segregation since 1948. The pair were initially kept in solitary confinement for a month before being charged with political "terrorism" in a trial in June 1978. 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. 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. 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. why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria. This was legal under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act, which allowed detention without trial for up to 60 days, and was extendable. 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. 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. 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. It was a little noise that promised a big prize freedom. Escape from Pretoria: Directed by Francis Annan. 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. He returned to France after his escape. In July, four ANC operatives including author Jeremy Cronin were arrested doing similar work in Cape Town and were given prison sentences. 2020 PG-13 1h 46m DVD Rent this movie Play trailer. On December 11th, 1979, three white activists, Tim Jenkin, Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris, escaped from Pretoria Central Prison. 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? It was not until the following morning that the warders realised the three men were missing. They were both found guilty on one charge, with Jenkin receiving a 12-year sentence and Lee eight. Offers may be subject to change without notice. folktandvrden karlskoga flyttar . We started just before the Soweto uprising in 1976 and carried on for three years. The French Communist Party published a press release in his support on 20 May 2011. So when his key worked, it was momentous. All Rights Reserved. [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. After hundreds of days of looking at the keys, he commits their shape to memory and successfully makes replicas for all nineteen doors that lead to the main gate of the prison. 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. 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. Jenkin's autobiography Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison is the inspiration for the screenplay and will tell the story of how Jenkin, Lee and Alex Moumbaris escaped the prison using. When the night came, Denis Goldberg, a political prisoner who would serve 22 years, distracted the guards. One of the intending escapees, Denis Goldberg, communicated with comrades in the ANC through coded letters sent to Baruch Hirson in London. AM. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. Lee moved back to Cape Town in December after enrolling in a master's degree in sociology, and the two continued their undercover work, but unbeknownst to them they were by this time under surveillance by the Security Branch of the South African Police. 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. We were working in a carpentry workshop and I thought, I wonder if we can make a key out of wood. There were numerous gates, many metal grill doors. 3 views today. It was suspected South African agents may have raided the home for documents to use in Moumbaris' trial. He also once unfurled an ANC banner from a building in Durban,[5] and was subsequently entrusted with more risky assignments. The layout of the prison cell Tim escaped fromAfter making most of the key in his first week, Tim also needed to smuggle it back to his cell. Stephen deliberately engineered a trip to the dentist that allowed him to pick up vital information for their potential route out. 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. After the escape, the prison was refurbished to improve security. Eventually, the day comes when Jenkin, Lee, and Fontaine try their escape, and by some miracle, it works. He's best known as the anti-apartheid activist who. 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 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 . 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. 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. [1], Moumbaris was the only non-South African prisoner, and when Jenkin met him, he appeared as "a little aloof". The film Escape from Pretoria was based on Tim Jenkins' book Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Central Prison. 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