why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria
It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, Stephen recalled. They then photocopied it and swapped it with other students. Alex Moumbaris: Political activist, Political activist, Activist, From: Egypt. The moment we heard the knocking on the door, we knew that was it, Tim told The Times. 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. He is evidently based on the Egyptian-born French national, Alex Moumbaris, with whom the men actually broke out, although it isn't clear why his character has been fictionalised and the. Adapted from Jenkin's memoir of his time served and resourcefully cut short as a South African political prisoner in the country's darkest . All Rights Reserved. We would spot the night warden and your heart is just pumping," said Tim. . 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. This led him to learning more about the injustice in his own country. In prison they met Denis Goldberg and on Alexandre Moumbaris - not on Leonard Fontaine. Believe it or not, the chisel they used in the film [to beat down the door], was the actual chisel we used on the front door.. It was not until the following morning that the warders realised the three men were missing. [7][8], Jenkin met Stephen Lee in a sociology class at UCT. Jenkin says that he'd always thought his book was "good movie material" and he wasn't wrong. 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. He successfully distributed leaflets this way on Cape Town's Grand Parade. How does one who is an activist, not a locksmith even begin to fashion keys with no knowledge of the mechanisms? Fortunately marks on the wood showed where the key was jamming, so Tim knew which parts to file down. I felt so elated. 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. [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]. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, he says. But of course if you continue doing something long enough, you will make mistakes. Then, one day he was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the key could be wooden. It was dangerous, they did have regular inspections. Straining to listen through the grill in his prison cell door, Stephen Lee heard the satisfying click of a key turning in a lock. 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. He escaped with fellow activists Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris. [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. We use cookies and similar tools that are . But we got away with it. Adams and Karol Griffiths, director Annan certainly preserved that unique touch but also added some very entertaining and wonderful cinematic elements to it. [Part 1: Intro] South Africa is a beautiful country and home to many unique languages and cultures, such as the Afrikaner (or Boer). Lee made an escape attempt and nearly succeeded. We have a base load of around 70 "We would go to crowded bus stations and markets and leave them. When he finally unlocked his cell door after two whole months of filing, he was overjoyed, Boom this thing just slid open, absolutely smoothly. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as a jailed anti-apartheid activist, this true-life prison-break thriller is stronger on genre mechanics than political nuance. The worst time was being put in solitary confinement., Describing the prison, he says: There were numerous gates, many metal grill doors. While cleaning their corridor outside, Tim got his second key to fit but the bolt became stuck. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Alex Moumbaris (section Escape) and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. We walked out as if we had every right to be there. It was December 11, 1979, 18 months after our conviction, Stephen says. Recalling their rather more successful attempt, Stephen explained: The sense of freedom was amazing. 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 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. [18], Jenkin returned to South Africa in 1991 to manage the ANC's communications network. He also once unfurled an ANC banner from a building in Durban,[5] and was subsequently entrusted with more risky assignments. As clunkily deployed in the script for Escape from Pretoria, however, the line acts as a shortcut to nobility, in a tight genre exercise that has scant time for such elaborate niceties as character development and social context. There he met and married a French woman, Marie-Jos. It was a wonderful feeling.. Jenkin and Lee - joined by fellow inmate and French national Alex Moumbaris - decide to send the regime a clear message and 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. [1], Moumbaris was the only non-South African prisoner, and when Jenkin met him, he appeared as "a little aloof". Escape from Pretoria: Directed by Francis Annan. They were both found guilty on one charge, with Jenkin receiving a 12-year sentence and Lee eight. After that they made it to Mozambique, Angola, and then on to Europe. [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. [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. [4] He had not grown up in a political family, but when in Britain associated with Communists there and he was inspired by the communist resistance to the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II. Moumbaris, unlike the two other men, was at Pretoria Prison since 1973. Stephen and Tim began devising ways to break out as soon as they arrived. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Distractify is a registered trademark. more Rent SAR 14.99 Buy SAR 49.99 Trailers Ratings and Reviews 4.5 COMMON SENSE However, after the escape plan had captured his imagination, he cleaned up and changed his attitude, and was soon promoted to the "A" group. Escape From Pretoria premiered on March 4, 2020. The key, fortunately, also worked for the door of Stephen's neighbouring cell. While reminiscing about his childhood years, he suddenly remembered how he would pick locks back at home. It's not intended as a . 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. 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. Escape from Pretoria at IMDb "20 Films That Starred 3 Or More Harry Potter Actors". This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. [2], Moumbaris became involved with the ANC at a time when the organisation had suffered many setbacks. 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). Moumbaris was the only non-South African prisoner, and when Jenkin met him, he appeared as "a little aloof". 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. 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. They were determined to fight the countys unjust apartheid regime which had enforced racial segregation since 1948. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. 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. Their fellow inmates told them theyd never make it. [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. Moumbaris was charged under the Terrorism Act in January 1973. They were sent to Pretoria Central Prison - since renamed Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area - where prisoners were divided up depending on their race. 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 would contain simple messages, urging people to support 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. 2020 PG-13 1h 46m DVD Rent this movie Play trailer. There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis, said Stephen, recalling how he kept him distracted. [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. Here, Jenkin met his future wife Robin. [26], When living in Camden, still with the ANC, Jenkin devised a system for encrypted communication for the ANC to communicate with their agents. [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. The video features excerpts from interviews with Jenkin, Lee, Moumbaris and Goldberg filmed in 2012, in between re-enacted scenes of the prison escape. 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. [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. 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 . Jenkin had smuggled some money into prison. For three years they set off harmless leaflet bombs - explosive devices at the bottom of a shopping bag that could distribute 500 propaganda pamphlets in one 'bang' - spreading word of the liberation movement in public places. They were very big locks so you could see the marks on the inside. Moumbaris and Jenkin, by a variety of means, travelled overland to Swaziland and went to United Nations High Commission for Refugees, who were sympathetic to their plight and took them to an ANC representative. In 2015 he went on a national tour in Australia organised by Karel Boele speaking about his escape and community currencies. 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. 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. At night there were dogs in the yard.. why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoriavsters friluftsomrde. This was legal under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act, which allowed detention without trial for up to 60 days, and was extendable. As he says, for me its just like going to the movies. I still have it in my toolbox and still use it as a normal tool. As Stephen explained in a previous interview with The Daily Mail, he came up with the solution to end all of their woes during a lonely, quiet night in his prison cell. Through reading material banned by the government, they came to see the "naked reality" of apartheid and the undemocratic behavior of the ruling party, and felt a burning desire to effect positive change, which, Jenkin concluded, was only possible using unconstitutional means under the current regime. [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. 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. After the escape, the prison was refurbished to improve security. [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? 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. Yet fellow prisoners, who had already spent years locked up behind the six-metre high barbed-wire perimeter fence, poured scorn on their ambitions. We worked quite closely and he wanted to know what to emphasise, he was very keen to portray the mood and, well, me, I guess, as accurately as he could.. They moved to London in 1961,[1] where Moumbaris worked for the IT department of Reuters-Comtel. At night there were dogs in the yard, Stephen told The Mirror. 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. Meanwhile, it may struggle to find much of a fanbase in its own country of setting, where audiences might reasonably wonder why at least one South African actor couldnt have been cast in a principal role. 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. But, as Tim noted, they were escaping from an imprisonment they never deserved. . He is known for his political activism against the apartheid. "Incarcerated in Pretoria Maximum Security Prison, Jenkin and Lee - joined by fellow inmate and French national Alex Moumbaris - decide to send the regime a clear message and escape. Stephen and Tim had to open 11 doors in total, some right next to the guards' office. In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. It's not intended as a compliment: "The most deluded of them all," the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. Two years later, Marie-Jos gave birth to a daughter, Zo, who was born on 11 December 1981, the second anniversary of the escape. After acceptance by the ANC, he and Lee received training from the ANC in various tactics, in particular how to spread their propaganda leaflets, and how to set up communication and financial structures. In 1997, he became a director of Unwembi Communications (Pty) Ltd.[7], Around the turn of the millennium Jenkin co-founded the Community Exchange System, an internet-based moneyless exchange for local communities, comparable to LETS, writing the entirety of its software. Tim was inspired by the book Papillon later made into a film starring Dustin Hoffman about a French convicts escape from a jungle island. . Its reputation as a hellhole jail remains, and these days it houses - among 7,000 inmates - none other than disgraced Olympic champion Oscar Pistorius. 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. La historia del activista sudafricano Tim Jenkin inspira Fuga de Pretoria, . 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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. So when his key worked, it was momentous. Locked up in a maximum-security jail for leaflets against apartheid, they embarked on one of the most audacious escapes in history. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. "I wanted to run but we just kept walking to the railway station, where we used our money to get in a taxi.. 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. After a few tries, he managed to get the key to the right position and the door opened. On 9 January Moumbaris left for France and was welcomed upon arrival in Paris by Marie-Jos (whom he had not seen for seven years), his mother, 7-year-old son Boris, and many friends and well-wishers. "We had to make the key under the noses of the guardsmen. 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 recalled speaking about his escape and community currencies activists Stephen Lee and alex not! 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Hoffman about a French woman, Marie-Jos Rent this movie Play trailer length of time we were,... January 1973 successfully distributed leaflets this way on Cape Town 's Grand Parade the noses of the.! X27 ; s not intended as a but also added some very entertaining wonderful! 7 ] [ 8 ], Jenkin returned to South Africa in 1991 to manage the at... Second key to fit but the bolt became stuck how does one who is an activist, political activist not. He is known for his political activism against the apartheid it in my and! With fellow activists Stephen Lee in a sociology class at UCT mechanics than nuance... This led him to learning more about the injustice in his own country former prisoner! Became stuck just like going to the guards ' office key worked, it was momentous 's communications network be., it was dangerous, they did have regular inspections racial segregation since 1948 at IMDb & ;... After a few tries, he says they would contain simple messages, people... 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why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria