The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

TV-PG

netflix

An uplifting true story

7.9

Movie

Malawi, UK
Chichewa; Nyanja, English
Drama, Family, History
2019
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR
Aissa Maiga, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Edwin Chonde
113 min

What it's about

Against all the odds, a thirteen year old boy in Malawi invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine.

The take

This movie’s energy is completely intoxicating.

It’s the directorial debut of renown British/Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, but it feels like the work of a veteran.

In a true story told in English and Chichewa (a language from Malawi), a young boy is expelled from school because his parents couldn’t afford tuition. At the same time, his village is struck by a variety of natural circumstances that bring them the threat of drought and famine.

The young boy sneaks into the library in the hopes of making a windmill and saving his village, and you can guess what follows from the title.

The triumph of engineering and a boy with a dream; mix in an incredibly interesting culture, full of unique family dynamics and a thought-provoking intersection between religion, tradition, and technology. The result is a delicate but uplifting movie, not to be missed.

Comments

A movie for future engineers.

Outstanding movie!

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