Action thriller Silverton Siege inspired by Free Mandela movement coming to Netflix - What's On In Pretoria

Thabo Rametsi, Noxolo Dlamini, and Stefan Erasmus in Silverton Siege. Photo: Neo Baepi/Netflix

Action thriller Silverton Siege, directed and created by renowned South African filmmaker Mandla Dube (The Italian Job, Strike Back, Angel Heart, Umtunzi we Ntaba), will premiere on Netflix on 27 April.

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.

Rametsi, Dlamini, and Erasmus portray the Silverton Siege trio – three young freedom fighters with nothing left to lose. Following a high-speed car chase with the police after a thwarted sabotage mission, the trio seeks 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.

Silverton Siege is my strongest work thus far; the hope is that filmmakers from Africa are given more opportunities to decolonise 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.

Director, Mandla Dube

The film also stars Arnold Vosloo alongside several well-known South African talent, including Tumisho Masha, Michelle Mosalakae, and Elani Dekker.