The boy who harnessed the wind is a 2019 drama movie based on the real-life story of William Kamkwamba. The total runtime of the film is 113 minutes. The film is directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor.
William Kamkwamba is a young boy who belongs to a family of farmers living in the village of Wimbe. William has an interest in science, and he repairs radios of his friends and neighbours in his free time. He is often seen at the local junkyard, looking for some electrical components. His father, Trywell Kamkwamba, really wants him to get educated but he is unable to pay his tuition fees. As a result, William had to drop out of school.
But soon enough, William finds another way to attend classes and also gets access to the school library. In the library, he learns about electrical engineering and energy production. By the mid-2000s, conditions began to deteriorate in and around his village, due to failing crops and the resultant famine. So, to overcome this situation, William decides to build a windmill that could draw groundwater and thus could help his village from the draught led crop-failure.
He can successfully build a small prototype of the windmill but to build a larger one, he needs his father bicycle. This is one of the best parts of the movie, this cycle is the only cycle in their whole village and the last family asset. Initially, Trywell finds his idea stupid and warns him too. But, then later when his mother intervenes, he is allowed to use the bicycle.
This movie gives a powerful message, a boy’s determination to help his village in need and believing in himself that he can do it. Trywell Kamkwamba is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, and he is the director of the movie! So, this time he hits this one out of the ball-park with his directing(debut), writing(debut) and we all know about his acting(12 Years a Slave). The boy who played William, Maxwell Simba, did a great job. He is just 13 years old in real life too, but his acting skills were like a mature actor. A must-watch movie for everyone!