As the former prison inmate told The Daily Mail, this memory was to transform his life, and soon enough, he had begun to test out various plans that could help him and Tim get out of the horrid institution. In June 1978, Stephen Lee and Tim Jenkin were sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison for producing political pamphlets during the Apartheid. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, Stephen recalled. 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 my early years I had learned to pick the back door lock at home with a piece of wire, he says. 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. 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. Alex Moumbaris was born in Egypt to French parents and later became a naturalised Australian. [27] A decade later Jenkin also created Clearing Central, a 2nd tier exchange for moneyless exchange between groups. Jenkin and Lee - joined by fellow inmate and French national Alex Moumbaris - decide to send the regime a clear message and escape. 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). Then, one day he was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the key could be wooden. It's not intended as a compliment: "The most deluded of them all," the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. As such, they were brought to the attention of South Africa's secret police. 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. 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. 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. There was an effort to rebuild the armed wing known as Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), and a plan was hatched by Oliver Tambo, Joe Slovo and/or Moses Mabhida, with the help of the South African Communist Party[2] to land 25 combatants plus arms via a boat previously purchased by the ANC, the Adventurer (or Avventura[4]), on the Transkei coast via the Indian Ocean from Somalia. Breakout, exclusive to National Geographic Channel, Fridays, 9pm. We got through the nine doors and then at the final door, we found we couldnt open the lock. 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. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as a jailed anti-apartheid activist, this true-life prison-break thriller is stronger on genre mechanics than political nuance. We have a base load of around 70 [2], In March 1988, Moumbaris was at the side of ANC Chief Representative Dulcie September in 1988 when she was shot and killed outside the office in Paris. Continue without accepting. Moumbaris was the only non-South African prisoner, and when Jenkin met him, he appeared as "a little aloof". [28], In 1987 his book, Escape from Pretoria, was published in London. It was hugely emotional. Alex Moumbaris: Political activist, Political activist, Activist, From: Egypt. The initial plan was that eight of the political prisoners would escape, leaving behind two who were nearing the end of their sentences. [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. [2] However the boat had developed engine problems and had to return to Somalia. This was how he knew how long the key needed to be. It was hugely emotional, Stephen recalls. But the film still works in lockdown mode as a premium rental. The wooden key didnt work at first. [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. Tim Jenkin and his allies were imprisoned at Pretoria Prison in South Africa. It was suspected South African agents may have raided the home for documents to use in Moumbaris' trial. Director Francis Annan and his co-writer L.H . Its when it shoots for more historical import that it falls somewhat short. [9] His ongoing task of generating enthusiasm amongst the other inmates for the escape plan was onerous, and the stress affected his health. [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. The film Escape from Pretoria was based on Tim Jenkins' book Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Central Prison. [2] He worked for about nine years before becoming involved with the ANC [3] as one of the "London Recruits". Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. 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. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. [1], Moumbaris was the only non-South African prisoner, and when Jenkin met him, he appeared as "a little aloof". In order to successfully escape from the prison in December 1979, Jenkin unlocked nine doors while Goldberg diverted the warden. "That gave me the depth of the lock inside, which was the same measurement as the key. 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. 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. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. "You get back to your cell and youd think, 'OK, its over, I can relax' but you couldnt.". This movie is based on the book written by Jenkin himself and because of the Escape from Pretoria feels very personal and up-close. [13] Jenkin went to London at the request of the ANC in May 1976, while Lee continued to plant leaflet bombs around Johannesburg. There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis, said Stephen, recalling how he kept him distracted. Despite the feature film makeover, there is no embellishment of Jenkins recollection in the script, based on his 2003 bookInside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison. [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. In 2015 he went on a national tour in Australia organised by Karel Boele speaking about his escape and community currencies. 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. But fortunately the metal of the keyhole marked where it was getting jammed, meaning Tim could accurately file it down to size. [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. 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,. lindbacken fastigheter When he finally unlocked his cell door after two whole months of filing, he was overjoyed, Boom this thing just slid open, absolutely smoothly. [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. Stephen would wait until the guards had gone to sleep. 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 . 2023 Variety Media, LLC. "This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor," he added. Tim was inspired by the book Papillon later made into a film starring Dustin Hoffman about a French convicts escape from a jungle island. [2] Goldberg and the others decided to withdraw from the escape, with Goldberg continuing to be involved in the preparations. 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 Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Watch on. Jenkins book of the same title was published in 1987, when he was still living as a fugitive from nominal justice in London. [24], In May 2017, it was announced 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. After Lee's father brought him a copy of the book Papillon, the book inspired them to seriously consider the prospect of escape and they concentrated on rigorous observations of the world around them. Stephen and Tim began devising ways to break out as soon as they arrived. 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. Jenkin had smuggled some money into prison. 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. I wanted to go back and do it again, as we hadnt opened that door before., He says: We escaped it a number of times in fact, each time going a bit further, the actual [final] escape was the easy part.. Offers may be subject to change without notice. We would spot the night warden and your heart is just pumping," said Tim. 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. 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. Undeterred, Tim said: From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes.. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. Years later, while based in Camden, North London, he would set up a rudimentary computer that enabled coded messages to be sent from the ANC to their agents and even to Mandela in prison. 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. Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. 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? 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. Alex Moumbaris (section Escape) and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. 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. He escaped with fellow activists Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris. [10], His relationship with the jailers tended towards being outwardly defiant and somewhat aggressive, laughing at new wardens who tried to discipline him. 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. I was so worried it was making a tremendous noise. While reminiscing about his childhood years, he suddenly remembered how he would pick locks back at home. 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. It was December 11, 1979, 18 months after our conviction, Stephen says. 3 views today. 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. "Im glad I played the part I did," he said. On arrival at Pretoria, a jail for white political prisoners, both men were so focused on escaping they even asked relatives to smuggle in money for taxi fares once they broke out. Sneaking out of their cells at night, they soon managed to get through door four. Tiene 72 aos y ha escrito varios libros. 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. They both found their sociology course disappointing, as the material reinforced the status quo of apartheid. It was dangerous, they did have regular inspections. 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. At night there were dogs in the yard.. [Part 1: Intro] South Africa is a beautiful country and home to many unique languages and cultures, such as the Afrikaner (or Boer). 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. There has only been one successful prison break since. There was also a six-metre high barbed-wire perimeter fence. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. After that they made it to Mozambique, Angola, and then on to Europe. Living as a fugitive from nominal justice in London duty and he still... 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