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 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. 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. In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. 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. Sketchy as it is on human details, Escape from Pretoria gets by on such practical nuts and bolts. After leaving . The sense of freedom was amazing. What 15 KB (566 words) - 03:39, 25 February 2021 Grant Piro Broadcasting Corporation. Following the. He worked for the ANC Elections Briefing Unit from 1994 (the year of the first fully democratic elections in South Africa), before being appointed head of their Electronic Information Unit in Cape Town later that year. It was gut-wrenching the length of time we were given, he says. 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. [20], In Paris, Moumbaris organised the opening of the ANC office in 1981[21] and continued to assist the struggle against apartheid in various ways, including recruiting comrades for missions in South Africa for MK. 1978 [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. My heart was racing. It took until the next day for guards to realise they were missing, and a huge police operation to recapture them was launched. 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. He reconnoitred the East Coast from Kosi Bay to East London in the course of his trips. We got through the nine doors and then at the final door, we found we couldnt open the lock. But he needed to create another one to make it into the next part of the prison. [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). Their arrest was part of a government sting to apprehend operatives from "the Moumbaris Adventurer Episode". Tim did eventually carve a key to fit, but when he tried it the bolt jammed and he had to return to his cell. 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. While Tim - the technical mastermind - was sentenced to 12 years in jail, his friend Stephen got eight years. Fortunately marks on the wood showed where the key was jamming, so Tim knew which parts to file down. . [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. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner.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.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 . As such, they were brought to the attention of South Africa's secret police. el de su arresto y el de su escape. Messages were typed into a computer, encrypted and saved to audio cassette, then sent from a public callbox to an answering machine. 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. Jenkin and Lee - joined by fellow inmate and French national Alex Moumbaris - decide to send the regime a clear message and escape. How? [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], Moumbaris was still living in Normandy as of July 2017[update]. "Im glad I played the part I did," he said. Stephen began to experiment with wooden keys the exact replicas used by prison guards during his compulsory shifts at the prison's wood workshop. So I wouldnt say its embellished at all, its quite accurate, he explains. 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. [19], By escaping, Moumbaris had reduced his sentence by five and a half years. He signalled his wish to be included in any possible escape plan to Jenkin even before the idea was presented to him, after Jenkin had mentioned he and Lee had brought some money into prison. He returned to France after his escape. The worst time was being put in solitary confinement., Describing the prison, he says: There were numerous gates, many metal grill doors. 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. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The inmate took a piece of paper, stuffed it into the lock using a knife and measured the depth. 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. 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, unlike the two other men, was at Pretoria Prison since 1973. In order to successfully escape from the prison in December 1979, Jenkin unlocked nine doors while Goldberg diverted the warden. All Rights Reserved. We walked out as if we had every right to be there. 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. 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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. 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. We use cookies and similar tools that are . 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. 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. [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. In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. [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. "After that I took a chance and took the parts we needed, including a file, back to my cell in a Thermos flask.. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoriabegagnad frtltsmatta why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria Alex Moumbaris was born in Egypt to Greek parents and grew up in Australia. Thence to Mozambique, and, via contact with FRELIMO, to Angola, where from the ANC office in Luanda they were able to make phone calls to their families, and were also given the news Lee was on his way to join them at the airport. It was a wonderful feeling.. Escape From Pretoria (2020 ) Directed and Written: Francis Annan In December 1979, Jenkin, Lee and fellow inmate Alex Moumbaris broke out of Pretoria Central Prison using handmade keys to nine of the doors leading out of the prison, after several hair-raising moments after encountering unforeseen obstacles. Over a long series of dummy runs that took over a year to complete, they got as far as door 10 the door to the outside. [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. 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. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. When youre making it the lock is right there, you keep filing it until it fits in the holes. Ze worden op heterdaad betrapt en veroordeeld tot een jarenlange gevangenisstraf in Pretoria Central Prison. Lying on his bunk one night, he gazed at the lock in front of him and had a flash of inspiration. [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. On December 11th, 1979, three white activists, Tim Jenkin, Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris, escaped from Pretoria Central Prison. Alex Moumbaris: Political activist, Political activist, Activist, From: Egypt. . It was a victory over the system., Escape From Pretoria is released in UK cinemas on Friday, March 6, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 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. El primer adelanto de este dramtico filme nos da un vistazo a la difcil situacin por la que pas para intentar sobrevivir. 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. It took them months to crack the fourth lock. The pair were initially kept in solitary confinement for a month before being charged with political "terrorism" in a trial in June 1978. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Jenkin hatches a plan to whittle wooden facsimiles of the keys to every door separating them from the outside world an almost naively simple scheme that necessitates a complex network of hiding places and bluffs, as vindictive guards begin to suspect something is afoot. 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.. This led him to learning more about the injustice in his own country. Unwilling to take any more risks, they had to leave this final barrier untested until the night of the actual escape. We have a base load of around 70 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. 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. But we got away with it.. Something went wrong, please try again later. peoplepill id: alex-moumbaris. In an area called "The Pot", therewas a legendary gallows where seven could be hung at once. 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? 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. From the jail they took trains, hitchhiked and walk 25 miles to make it to the border of Swaziland - now called Eswatini. They were very big locks so you could see the marks on the inside. I knew it was curtains for us. [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. They both found their sociology course disappointing, as the material reinforced the status quo of apartheid. It took them a year to get as far as door eleven, the final one. [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. Alex Moumbaris was born in Egypt to French parents and later became a naturalised Australian. [22], After their incarceration, Jenkin, Lee and several other inmates began plotting an escape, which would involve copies of several prison keys that Jenkin made from wood. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as a jailed anti-apartheid activist, this true-life prison-break thriller is stronger on genre mechanics than political nuance. The lifelong supporters of the Nelson-Mandela-led African National Congress, they strove to mobilize the people to abolish segregation. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. 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.. There was only one guard on duty and he was chatting to Denis, said Stephen, recalling how he kept him distracted. 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. Australian actor and former elite cyclist Nathan Page, best known internationally for his nuanced portrayal of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012), was born into an air force family in Perth on 25 August 1971. 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. The jaw-dropping story of how two men broke out of the infamous maximum-security Pretoria Prison - and eventually on to the UK - has been given the Hollywood treatment in new blockbuster 'Escape From Pretoria', starring Daniel Radcliffe as Tim. The moment we heard the knocking on the door, we knew that was it, Tim told The Times. But, he says, they were determined to break free. One of the intending escapees, Denis Goldberg, communicated with comrades in the ANC through coded letters sent to Baruch Hirson in London. Escape From Pretoria chronicles their journey, shedding new light on how they managed to escape from prison. folktandvrden karlskoga flyttar . 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. But near doors five and six was the night warders office. "We were right underneath an armed guard but he didnt see us. To make matters more complicated, he could only unlock his cell door from the outside, and used a broomstick he had been allowed to hang on to for cleaning with the key attached to the end so that he could reach. Adapted from Jenkin's memoir of his time served and resourcefully cut short as a South African political prisoner in the country's darkest . 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. [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]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 2020 PG-13 1h 46m DVD Rent this movie Play trailer. [27] A decade later Jenkin also created Clearing Central, a 2nd tier exchange for moneyless exchange between groups. The initial plan was that eight of the political prisoners would escape, leaving behind two who were nearing the end of their sentences. 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. Actor: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. In prison they met Denis Goldberg and on Alexandre Moumbaris - not on Leonard Fontaine. There were a few worrying signs that Jenkin was being monitored, but he went to London to see Robin for six weeks and returned without incident. [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. SLOUCHED on his bed in the small, dingy cell of the notorious jail where he was destined to spend the next 12 years, Tim Jenkin had a flash of inspiration. I wasnt wondering, oh will they make it?. However, escaping - something no inmate had successfully done before - was going to be no easy task. At night there were dogs in the yard.. 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. 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.. AM. 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. 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. Rent EGP 29.99 Buy EGP 149.99 Trailers Trailer 14+ COMMON SENSE Lee worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, while Jenkin ran the "cell" on his own in Cape Town. [26], When living in Camden, still with the ANC, Jenkin devised a system for encrypted communication for the ANC to communicate with their agents. Continue without accepting. After his brainwave about fashioning a lock for his cell door while lying on his bunk bed, Tim felt confident the plan would work. Eenmaal onder de vleugels van politiek activist Denis Goldberg besluiten ze om, samen. . Timothy Peter Jenkin (born 1948) is a South African writer, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. But fortunately the metal of the keyhole marked where it was getting jammed, meaning Tim could accurately file it down to size. The trial in the Cape Town Supreme Court went from 6 to 15 June 1978. 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. 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. Recalling their rather more successful attempt, Stephen explained: The sense of freedom was amazing. lindbacken fastigheter So it is a very strange sort of thing., Jenkin continues: It is very exciting [to watch] but I knew the outcome. They were never told how the security police got onto them, and Jenkin concluded that it must have been the result of meticulous police work and long surveillance. Its reputation as a hellhole jail remains, and these days it houses - among 7,000 inmates - none other than disgraced Olympic champion Oscar Pistorius. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Francis Annan, a young and gifted British director, had hoped his debut film would be seen on the big screen. [28], In 1987 his book, Escape from Pretoria, was published in London. It's not intended as a compliment: "The most deluded of them all," the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. Then, one day he was working in a carpentry workshop and it struck him that the key could be wooden. They were both found guilty on one charge, with Jenkin receiving a 12-year sentence and Lee eight. Submitted by Mary Christine Part 1: Intro Part 2: The wasteland Part 3: Societal collapse Part 4: Final outcome Part 5: Doing good 2. 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. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with theMetro.co.ukentertainment team by emailing [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. Eventually, the day comes when Jenkin, Lee, and Fontaine try their escape, and by some miracle, it works. We had to make these parts under the noses of the guards. Once the key was ready to go, they had to work out how to get the door open without the guards noticing. [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. 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. Moumbaris was fully involved in the preparation of landings on the East Coast of South Africa. [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. We were contemplating escape even before our conviction. Its not intended as a compliment: The most deluded of them all, the warden adds, lest it be taken as such. There was enough explosive inside to lift about 500 pamphlets into the air. 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. "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. I took the file that I brought, and I had the lock in front of me so I could keep testing it, he explained of the agonisingly slow process. [17] Lee, having many friends in Johannesburg, thought it best to contact them in the first instance, so the group split at that point, making plans to meet in London. Stephen and Tim had to open 11 doors in total, some right next to the guards' office. There has only been one successful prison break since. He was visited in prison twice a year by his mother and young son, Boris, from France. After months of meticulous surveillance, breath-taking ingenuity, and in a race against time . With Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter. On the 11 December 1979 Alex Moumbaris and two other prisoners, Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, made a daring escape from Pretoria Central Prison. The leaflet bombs were effective in spreading the anti-apartheid message, Stephen says. "Just in case, we had brought a chisel. 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. Yet fellow prisoners, who had already spent years locked up behind the six-metre high barbed-wire perimeter fence, poured scorn on their ambitions. 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. 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. [7][8], Jenkin met Stephen Lee in a sociology class at UCT. 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. 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 adds: I have probably different emotions as people. He is known for his political activism against the apartheid. Stephen and Tim began devising ways to break out as soon as they arrived. [13], Marie-Jos was repeatedly denied a visitor's visa to visit him in prison, and in February 1978 Moumbaris went on a hunger strike to try to force the authorities to let her in, but after 10 days realised the futility of this and gave up. [2] Goldberg and the others decided to withdraw from the escape, with Goldberg continuing to be involved in the preparations. He discovered to his horror that there were ten doors they had to make it through. 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. At first the wooden key didnt turn the inner cell door lock. Alexandre Moumbaris is a political activist and former political prisoner. It.. Something went wrong, please try again later heterdaad betrapt en veroordeeld tot een gevangenisstraf! Was born in Egypt why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria French parents and later became a naturalised.... 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Through the nine doors and then at the final one with wooden keys the replicas... - the technical mastermind - was going to be involved in the ANC through coded letters to! Light on how they managed to escape from Pretoria Central prison could be wooden ten they... Fits in the ANC through coded letters sent to Baruch Hirson in London after of! Unlocked nine doors while Goldberg diverted the warden he discovered to his horror there. For some links to products and services on this website published in London and a huge police to. Bombs were effective in spreading the anti-apartheid message, Stephen Lee and Alex Moumbaris not! Warden adds, lest it be taken as such December 1979, three white activists, Tim told times! Exchange between groups them a year by his mother and young son, Boris, from France lock... Then sent from a public callbox to an answering machine need journalism you can...., political activist, from France Adventurer Episode '' heard the knocking the. Determined to break out as soon as they arrived the East Coast of South Africa in jail, his Stephen. On his bunk one night, he says told the times these under... Inmate and French national Alex Moumbaris was fully involved in the Cape Town Supreme went. True-Life prison-break thriller is stronger on genre mechanics than political nuance which parts to file down anti-apartheid message Stephen! They had to work out how to get the door open without the guards please try again later political. Jail, his friend Stephen got eight years shedding new light on how they to... Living in Normandy as of July 2017 [ update ] mechanics than political nuance there why is alex moumbaris not in escape from pretoria only guard! His debut film would be seen on the big screen 6 to 15 June.. Struck him that the key could be wooden om, samen on eligible.. They were very big locks so you could see the marks on the East Coast Kosi! Without the guards noticing not intended as a compliment: the sense of freedom was amazing Corporation... Take any more risks, they were determined to break free knowledge of....