On the third occasion a sea-landing of 19 MK fully-armed members was to occur, Moumbaris was the commander of the receiving group. It was dangerous, they did have regular inspections. Moumbaris was the only non-South African prisoner, and when Jenkin met him, he appeared as "a little aloof". [5] As Marie-Jos was pregnant at the time and under pressure from the French ambassador, she was not charged but instead deported back to France[3] after four months. 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. 1978 This was going to let us out of the cells into the corridor.. From the very first day, we started to collect intelligence about possible escape routes, says Tim, who now lives in Johannesburg. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. We walked out as if we had every right to be there.". Ready to find out more about the real story Escape from Pretoria is based on? So when his key worked, it was momentous. I felt so elated.". ', Super Mario Bros. 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What 15 KB (566 words) - 03:39, 25 February 2021 Grant Piro Broadcasting Corporation. [25][26] Filming of Escape from Pretoria began in Adelaide, South Australia, in March 2019, with Daniel Webber joining the cast as Lee. We got through the nine doors and then at the final door, we found we couldnt open the lock. Goldberg distracted the warden while the three made their escape. On 30 December they were flown to Zambia, where they were accommodated under armed guard in Lusaka and their presence was officially announced by the ANC in early January 1980. 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. Moumbaris was charged under the Terrorism Act in January 1973. 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. They were so convinced that they'd soon find a way out that they had money smuggled in to use for taxi fares once they got out. Radcliffe is playing a real-life person, Tim Jenkin, in a thrilling story based on a true story. Escape from Pretoria at IMDb "20 Films That Starred 3 Or More Harry Potter Actors". Banished to the vast prison complex of Pretoria, the countrys administrative capital, Jenkin and Lee are protectively counseled by veteran liberal political prisoner Denis Goldberg (British veteran Ian Hart, giving the character a geezer-y air), who advises them to keep their heads down and to serve their time with dignity as prisoners of conscience. The youngsters, countering that they are instead prisoners of war, immediately set about an escape plan regardless. [21], In May 2011, Moumbaris was charged with making a "Public call to discrimination" and set to appear in court in Flers, in Normandy. [9], 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. It was hugely emotional, Stephen recalls. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. 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. peoplepill id: alex-moumbaris. It was December 11, 1979, 18 months after our conviction, Stephen says. "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. . 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's not intended as a compliment: "The most deluded of them all," the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. At first the wooden key didnt turn the inner cell door lock. So it is a very strange sort of thing., Jenkin continues: It is very exciting [to watch] but I knew the outcome. After the escape, the prison was refurbished to improve security. Lee worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, while Jenkin ran the "cell" on his own in Cape Town. Using the broom he was allowed to keep to sweep his cell, he created another genius contraption. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, he says. [37][38] Jenkin spent some time in Adelaide, advising Radcliffe on accent and other aspects of the film, as well as playing as an extra, playing a prisoner next to Radcliffe in the visiting room. 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. 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. Escape From Pretoria is in cinemas Friday. Its reputation as a hellhole jail remains, and these days it houses - among 7,000 inmates - none other than disgraced Olympic champion Oscar Pistorius. 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. . 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). "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. [7] A new edition was published in Johannesburg and London as Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Prison in 2003. Francis Annan, a young and gifted British director, had hoped his debut film would be seen on the big screen. The ol razzle dazzle where his journey looks nothing like how it has been portrayed on screen, In a way the real story is even more exciting, its just too long to fit into the 100 minutes, so theyve taken license to summaries a whole lot of events into one. La historia del activista sudafricano Tim Jenkin inspira Fuga de Pretoria, . 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. 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. We had to make these parts under the noses of the guards. 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. [2] Goldberg and the others decided to withdraw from the escape, with Goldberg continuing to be involved in the preparations. How does one who is an activist, not a locksmith even begin to fashion keys with no knowledge of the mechanisms? The film Escape from Pretoria was based on Tim Jenkins' book Inside Out: Escape from Pretoria Central Prison. [7][8], Jenkin met Stephen Lee in a sociology class at UCT. It took them months to crack the fourth lock. With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. Alex Moumbaris was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on the 20 June 1973, which he started serving in the Pretoria Local Prison. "After that I took a chance and took the parts we needed, including a file, back to my cell in a Thermos flask.. The trial in the Cape Town Supreme Court went from 6 to 15 June 1978. I just couldnt believe it., Stephen remembers the exact moment he had heard the lock click. 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 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. [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. Just supporting the liberation movement was deemed to be terrorism.. Alex Moumbaris (section Escape) and 1979 escape from, Pretoria Local Prison (within the Pretoria Central Prison complex) with Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee. The system was never cracked and helped the ANC coordinate in the run up to Nelson Mandela's release from prison. There he met and married a French woman, Marie-Jos. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. 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. The key, fortunately, also worked for the door of Stephen's neighbouring cell. We had . There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis, said Stephen, recalling how he kept him distracted. Their arrest was part of a government sting to apprehend operatives from "the Moumbaris Adventurer Episode". [19], By escaping, Moumbaris had reduced his sentence by five and a half years. While cleaning their corridor outside, Tim got his second key to fit but the bolt became stuck. He also . 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. [5] He later wrote that he had "grown up a 'normal' complacent white South African" who "unthinkingly accepted the system and for twenty-one years never questioned it". lindbacken fastigheter 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.. Continue without accepting. Moumbaris is renamed Leonard Fontaine and played by Mark Leonard Winter.[27][28]. 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. We have a base load of around 70 We were working in a carpentry workshop and I thought, I wonder if we can make a key out of wood. All Rights Reserved. Door three fortunately worked with the same key as the inner cell door. "Im glad I played the part I did," he said. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Aren't Moving to Africa Yet, H&M Store In South Africa Trashed Over 'Coolest Monkey' Sweatshirt, This 'Typical' Photo From Ellen's Trip To Africa Sparked Controversy Online. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Tim was inspired by the book Papillon later made into a film starring Dustin Hoffman about a French convicts escape from a jungle island. He worked as a trade unionist and came to South Africa in 1973. Select Your Cookie Preferences. During this time they learnt of the activities of the African National Congress (ANC), which was an illegal organisation in South Africa. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. 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. They were both found guilty on one charge, with Jenkin receiving a 12-year sentence and Lee eight. 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. While their revolutionary deeds helped to change the course of history, their prison escape was that which garnered them real fame. Timothy Peter Jenkin (born 1948) is a South African writer, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. You hardly have to measure., He continued: The actual shape, we got by looking at their [guards] keys, as we had the overall height already, it was just a question of guessing how deep the cuts were and our guess was correct and the very first key was correct. 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. [13] Jenkin went to London at the request of the ANC in May 1976, while Lee continued to plant leaflet bombs around Johannesburg. It's not intended as a . He returned to France after his escape. Its when it shoots for more historical import that it falls somewhat short. He was also influenced by the Vietnam War and the Greek coup of the colonels in 1967. why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria. 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. The lifelong supporters of the Nelson-Mandela-led African National Congress, they strove to mobilize the people to abolish segregation. [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. At night there were dogs in the yard.. 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