Feb. 14, 2019|Malawi|113 Min.|TV-PG
Genre: Drama;Family;History
Description: William Kamkwamba, a young boy from Kasungu, Malawi, grows up in a farming family in the village of Wimbe. Passionate about fixing radios, he scavenges the local junkyard for spare parts. When his parents can no longer afford his school fees, William is forced to leave. However, he cleverly convinces his science teacher—who is secretly involved with his sister—to let him continue attending class and use the school library, where he studies electrical engineering and energy production.
By the mid-2000s, drought devastates the region, causing crop failures and famine. William’s village suffers greatly, with riots erupting over government food rationing. His family loses their already scarce grain reserves, and many villagers abandon their homes. William’s sister leaves with his former teacher to reduce the family’s burden.
Determined to save his village, William develops a plan to build a windmill. He creates a small prototype that works, but to construct a larger one, he needs parts from the family’s bicycle—the only one in the village and their last valuable possession. His father, Trywell, dismisses the idea, destroys the prototype, and forces William to work in the fields. After William’s dog dies of starvation and hopes fade, his mother, Agnes, convinces Trywell to reconsider. Father and son reconcile following the dog’s burial. With the help of friends and remaining villagers, they build a full-scale windmill, which ultimately enables the community to grow a successful crop.
Cast director: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Cast actor: Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aïssa Maïga, Lily Banda, Joseph Marcell, Lemogang Tsipa, Philbert Falakeza, Noma Dumezweni, Khalani Makunje, Robert Agengo
Original name: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind