Stephen deliberately engineered a trip to the dentist that allowed him to pick up vital information for their potential route out. Why? Others were also caught, but they succeeded in infiltrating a number of trained militants. 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. The movie begins with their early days spent planting harmless pamphlet bombs across Cape Town, before plunging us into the tepid everyday life of political prisoners. Timothy Peter Jenkin (born 1948) is a South African writer, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. But of course if you continue doing something long enough, you will make mistakes. The wooden key didnt work at first. 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. Surely his amazing story has had the big Hollywood sparkle, though? 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,. 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. 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. His wife was detained during the same period of his detention, but was later released without charge. While the first step toward freedom might have been exhilarating, it was far from their most momentous achievement. But he needed to create another one to make it into the next part of the prison. It took until the next day for guards to realise they were missing, and a huge police operation to recapture them was launched. 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. It took them a year to get as far as door eleven, the final one. I was so worried it was making a tremendous noise. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Stephen would wait until the guards had gone to sleep. Ready to find out more about the real story Escape from Pretoria is based on? [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. After a few tries, he managed to get the key to the right position and the door opened. 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. Lee worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, while Jenkin ran the "cell" on his own in Cape Town. Their arrest was part of a government sting to apprehend operatives from "the Moumbaris Adventurer Episode". Their fellow inmates told them theyd never make it. 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. Door three fortunately worked with the same key as the inner cell door. He escaped with fellow activists Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris. [23], As the plan evolved it became clear that for the escape to be successful it would have to be restricted to three people, who would have to hide in a small closet at one point. "Just in case, we had brought a chisel. My heart was racing. Moumbaris was the only non-South African prisoner, and when Jenkin met him, he appeared as "a little aloof". 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 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.. But Tim Jenkin did, and you may be surprised to learn one of the most daring prison escapes was executed right under the noses of Pretoria Prison guards back in 1979 and involved nothing but the keys made in Jenkins own cell. Lee made an escape attempt and nearly succeeded. su amigo Stephen Lee y a Alex . "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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 . Copyright 2023 Distractify. This led him to learning more about the injustice in his own country. How? [7][8], Jenkin met Stephen Lee in a sociology class at UCT. 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. Jenkin, Lee, and fellow prisoner Alex Moumbaris were also involved in the escape. [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. [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. Alex Moumbaris: Political activist, Political activist, Activist, From: Egypt. [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. On the 11 December 1979 Alex Moumbaris and two other prisoners, Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, made a daring escape from Pretoria Central Prison. Jenkin was born in Cape Town and educated at Rondebosch Boys' Prep and Boys' High School, matriculating aged 17. We got through the nine doors and then at the final door, we found we couldnt open the lock. [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. 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. It was dangerous, they did have regular inspections. From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes, says Tim, who now lives in Johannesburg. 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. There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis. He also . When the night came, Denis Goldberg, a political prisoner who would serve 22 years, distracted the guards. In order to successfully escape from the prison in December 1979, Jenkin unlocked nine doors while Goldberg diverted the warden. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. Stephen began to experiment with wooden keys the exact replicas used by prison guards during his compulsory shifts at the prison's wood workshop. "Just in case, we had brought a chisel. They then photocopied it and swapped it with other students. Boom, the door just slid open, absolutely smoothly, he says. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as a jailed anti-apartheid activist, this true-life prison-break thriller is stronger on genre mechanics than political nuance. He worked as a trade unionist and came to South Africa in 1973. But, as Tim noted, they were escaping from an imprisonment they never deserved. In June 1978, Stephen Lee and Tim Jenkin were sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison for producing political pamphlets during the Apartheid. 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. It was suspected South African agents may have raided the home for documents to use in Moumbaris' trial. 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. I got a piece of paper and, using a knife, pressed it into the lock. 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. [13] Jenkin went to London at the request of the ANC in May 1976, while Lee continued to plant leaflet bombs around Johannesburg. "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. 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. el de su arresto y el de su escape. Instead, 25 guerillas were infiltrated overland, with Moumbaris aiding with border reconnaissance and transport,[5] as commander of the receiving operation. The French Communist Party published a press release in his support on 20 May 2011. 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. Once the key was ready to go, they had to work out how to get the door open without the guards noticing. 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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? This virus has brutally disrupted many cinematic dreams. [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. 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. We walked out as if we had every right to be there. 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. Adams and Karol Griffiths, director Annan certainly preserved that unique touch but also added some very entertaining and wonderful cinematic elements to it. While cleaning their corridor outside, Tim got his second key to fit but the bolt became stuck. 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. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, he says. Nathan Page. He returned to France after his escape. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Eenmaal onder de vleugels van politiek activist Denis Goldberg besluiten ze om, samen. With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. 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. The third prisoner in this true story was in fact Alexandre Moumbaris, Egyptian born of Greek heritage who grew up in Australia and was raised in the UK. Ze worden op heterdaad betrapt en veroordeeld tot een jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central Prison. "Im glad that we escaped. He had big plans to shoot Escape from Pretoria in South Africa a couple of years ago, but the money fell through. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. [2], Moumbaris became involved with the ANC at a time when the organisation had suffered many setbacks. The system was never cracked and helped the ANC coordinate in the run up to Nelson Mandela's release from prison. Luckily, the warder blamed one of his colleagues. El primer adelanto de este dramtico filme nos da un vistazo a la difcil situacin por la que pas para intentar sobrevivir. Unwilling to take any more risks, they had to leave this final barrier untested until the night of the actual escape. Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. During this time they learnt of the activities of the African National Congress (ANC), which was an illegal organisation in South Africa. Moumbaris, unlike the two other men, was at Pretoria Prison since 1973. . Alex Moumbaris (section Escape) and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. So when his key worked, it was momentous. Continue without accepting. 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. It's not intended as a . But we got away with it.. Hirson then communicated with Joe Slovo in Mozambique and a date for the escape was set and an escape vehicle arranged. 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, 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. [2], Moumbaris was still living in Normandy as of July 2017[update]. 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. [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. But near doors five and six was the night warders office. 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. 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). [28], In 1987 his book, Escape from Pretoria, was published in London. [9] His ongoing task of generating enthusiasm amongst the other inmates for the escape plan was onerous, and the stress affected his health. 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. Its surprising that its taken this long to reach the screen, given how sveltely his gripping story fits into a genre-film uniform. It was not until the following morning that the warders realised the three men were missing. Watch on. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor.. They became friends and, in a South African version of Samizdat, Jenkins and Lee sought out literature banned by the ruling National Party. In July, four ANC operatives including author Jeremy Cronin were arrested doing similar work in Cape Town and were given prison sentences. Upon legal advice, both pleaded guilty to all charges. 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. . Undeterred, Tim said: From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes.. 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. 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. After leaving . After that they made it to Mozambique, Angola, and then on to Europe. Actually were Tim to 12 years and Stephen to 8 years in Pretoria Prison shipped after they Handed out leaflets with a (harmless) explosion. As he says, for me its just like going to the movies. We walked out as if we had every right to be there.". Again Tims ingenuity was tested. The sense of freedom was amazing. 3 views today. [4], Moumbaris and Marie-Jos were caught while trying to enter South Africa from Botswana in 1972, after a previously-arrested comrade informed on them. [15], At 3am the morning of 2 March 1978, Jenkin and Lee were both arrested, after being seen moving their printing equipment into their own dwelling. 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. 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. Similarly to American Animals, the fast-paced narrative is geared toward the great moment of liberation, showing how the prisoners ended up developing their invincible strategy. 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. My heart was racing. At this point, a third prisoner, Alex Moumbaris joined the escape effort. He was visited in prison twice a year by his mother and young son, Boris, from France. 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. While their revolutionary deeds helped to change the course of history, their prison escape was that which garnered them real fame. In prison they met Denis Goldberg and on Alexandre Moumbaris - not on Leonard Fontaine. The key, fortunately, also worked for the door of Stephen's neighbouring cell. Adapted from Jenkin's memoir of his time served and resourcefully cut short as a South African political prisoner in the country's darkest . I knew it was curtains for us. So I wouldnt say its embellished at all, its quite accurate, he explains. lindbacken fastigheter They moved to London in 1961,[1] where Moumbaris worked for the IT department of Reuters-Comtel. The fact that they were all in prison for their political activities and beliefs united them, and "as members of a revolutionary organisation [they] were disciplined and shared in [their] suffering collectively". So it is a very strange sort of thing., Jenkin continues: It is very exciting [to watch] but I knew the outcome. Alex Moumbaris was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on the 20 June 1973, which he started serving in the Pretoria Local Prison. On the third occasion a sea-landing of 19 MK fully-armed members was to occur, Moumbaris was the commander of the receiving group. 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 were both found guilty on one charge, with Jenkin receiving a 12-year sentence and Lee eight. Francis Annan, a young and gifted British director, had hoped his debut film would be seen on the big screen. 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. [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? There was enough explosive inside to lift about 500 pamphlets into the air. A guard who found it assumed a colleague was to blame. The prison, constructed from stone and steel, had gone down in prisoner folklore as being a fortress from which no one could ever hope to escape. 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. It's not intended as a compliment: "The most deluded of them all," the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. Speaking to Metro.co.uk about learning the news Radcliffe would be portraying him, Jenkin (who was sentenced to 12 years in prison) said the A-list casting came as a surprise. However, after the escape plan had captured his imagination, he cleaned up and changed his attitude, and was soon promoted to the "A" group. Jenkin and Lee - joined by fellow inmate and French national Alex Moumbaris - decide to send the regime a clear message and escape. 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