Our 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.
Streaming arrival
What it won
Sundance
1 win
The story
Against all the odds, a thirteen year old boy in Malawi invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine.
Elsewhere
"This is a promising debut from Ejiofor - and further proof of Netflix's willingness to invest in stories which other studios might deem less commercially viable."
— Adam Woodward
"The film feels lived-in in a way that not many biopics do, forgoing both the gloss and poverty porn that often comes with Western films about Africa."
— Kambole Campbell
Who picked it
Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is based in the US and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.
Outstanding movie!
A movie for future engineers.