[1] Calvin Khumalo, Terra Mabunda and Aldo Erasmus are anti-apartheid freedom fighters, part of Umkhonto WeSizwe whose power plant sabotage mission in the capital's suburb of Silverton is thwarted as local police were tipped off.

Khumalo addresses the bank clients and employees, explaining they are not robbing it and asking they cooperate calmly so no one gets hurt.

They have the American boxing promoter light a huge cart of money for the cameras and Calvin starts the chant 'free Nelson Mandela'.

The racist Boer Johan pulls out a hidden gun, threatening to overturn the freedom fighters.

After they burn another heap of money, the Captain hands Calvin a letter supposedly pardoning Mandela.

Calvin receives a call about the impending SWAT team raid, but tells everyone that Mandela will be free and they let out the hostages.

The Silverton Siege sparked the 'Free Nelson Mandela' campaign which finally achieved his release 10 years later.

Upon reading about the real life Silverton Siege of 1980, Dube became inspired and began developing a script with fellow American Film Institute alumnus Sechaba Morojele as editor.

Dube said the film would be about 60% factual, and that they would use creative license for the rest, wanting to make it "an entertaining story, not a documentary".

[2] The cast was announced alongside the release date announcement in March 2022; Thabo Rametsi, Noxolo Dlamini, and Stefan Erasmus would star as the Silverton trio alongside Arnold Vosloo, Tumisho Masha, Michelle Mosalakae, and Elani Dekker.

The actors give their characters depth and nuance, making them feel like real people with complex motivations and emotions.

Their performances are especially noteworthy during the tense standoff at the national bank, where they convey their characters' fear, desperation, and determination with intensity and authenticity.