I O L E N TE R TA I N ME N T | Issue 4 | M arch /J un e
MANDLA DUBE’S ‘SILVERTON SIEGE’ REVISITS HISTORICAL EVENT ON FREEDOM DAY THIS Freedom Day, Netflix launches the action thriller “Silverton Siege”. The film is directed and created by renowned South African filmmaker, Mandla Dube (Tsotsi, The Italian Job, Strike Back, Angel Heart, and Umtunzi we Ntaba) and produced by Pambili Media. Of the film, Dube said: “‘Silverton Siege’ is my strongest work thus far, the hope is that filmmakers from Africa are given more opportunities at decolonizing the narrative of who we are. I also hope that the youth of today can draw inspiration from the Silverton Siege trio, and know that they have the power to change the status quo, and most importantly that their stories matter.” Set in 1980, the film is inspired by the real-life incident that sparked the global “Free Mandela’ movement and features South African stars Thabo Rametsi, Noxolo Dlamini, and Stefan Erasmus, who play Calvin Khumalo, Mbali Terra Mabunda and Aldo Erasmus, respectively. They portray the Silverton Siege trio - young freedom fighters with nothing left to lose.
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Following a high-speed car chase with the police after a thwarted sabotage mission, the trio ends up seeking refuge in a South African bank in Silverton, Pretoria. Taking the bank and its customers hostage, and demanding the release of Nelson Mandela in exchange for the release of the prisoners, the stakes and tensions run high. In an interview with Rametsi, who worked with Dube in “Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu”, he said: “I found it exhilarating and I was really impressed by the infused action into the real
depth of the storytelling. That was the first thing that leapt out at me even though I had reservations about the character itself. “Those reservations pulled me into choosing him because I didn’t like the character or attach to him. And I was like, ‘this is why you should play him’.” The film also stars South African heavyweight Arnold Vosloo alongside a number of wellknown South African talents, including Tumisho Masha, Michelle Mosalakae and Elani Dekker. “Silverton Siege” will be available to all 222 million subscribers in 190 countries.
