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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

  • 20192019
  • TV-PGTV-PG
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
35K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,791
701
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Maxwell Simba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
A boy in Malawi is thrown out of the school he loves when his family can no longer afford the fees. Sneaking back into the school library, he finds a way, using the bones of the bicycle belonging to his father Trywell (Chiwetel Ejiofor), to build a windmill which could save his village from famine.
Play trailer2:23
3 Videos
39 Photos
BiographyDramaHistory

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

IMDb RATING
7.6/10
35K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,791
701
  • Director
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor
  • Writers
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor(adaptation)
    • William Kamkwamba(based on the book by)
    • Bryan Mealer(based on the book by)
  • Stars
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor
    • Maxwell Simba
    • Felix Lemburo
Top credits
  • Director
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor
  • Writers
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor(adaptation)
    • William Kamkwamba(based on the book by)
    • Bryan Mealer(based on the book by)
  • Stars
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor
    • Maxwell Simba
    • Felix Lemburo
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 201User reviews
    • 52Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 6 nominations

    Videos3

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:23
    Official Trailer
    The Rise of Chiwetel Ejiofor
    Clip 4:09
    The Rise of Chiwetel Ejiofor
    Chiwetel Ejiofor Transitions from Actor to Director
    Video 2:57
    Chiwetel Ejiofor Transitions from Actor to Director

    Photos39

    Maxwell Simba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor and Maxwell Simba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Maxwell Simba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Maxwell Simba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aïssa Maïga, Maxwell Simba, and Lily Banda in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Maxwell Simba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Maxwell Simba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aïssa Maïga, Maxwell Simba, and Lily Banda in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Chiwetel Ejiofor and Maxwell Simba in The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Aïssa Maïga at an event for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
    Maxwell Simba at an event for The IMDb Studio at Sundance (2015)
    Aïssa Maïga and Maxwell Simba at an event for The IMDb Studio at Sundance (2015)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Chiwetel Ejiofor
    Chiwetel Ejiofor
    • Trywell Kamkwambaas Trywell Kamkwamba
    Maxwell Simba
    Maxwell Simba
    • William Kamkwambaas William Kamkwamba
    Felix Lemburo
    • John Kamkwambaas John Kamkwamba
    Robert Agengo
    • Jeremiah Kamkwambaas Jeremiah Kamkwamba
    Fiskan Makawa
    • Priestas Priest
    Lily Banda
    Lily Banda
    • Annie Kamkwambaas Annie Kamkwamba
    Aïssa Maïga
    Aïssa Maïga
    • Agnes Kamkwambaas Agnes Kamkwamba
    Fredrick Lukhere
    • Mkubwias Mkubwi
    Hestingzi Phiri
    • Shabani Mkubwias Shabani Mkubwi
    Rophium Banda
    • Mister Bamusias Mister Bamusi
    Philbert Falakeza
    • Gilbert Wimbeas Gilbert Wimbe
    Samson Kambalu
    • Joe Godstenas Joe Godsten
    Raymond Ofula
    • Mister Ofesias Mister Ofesi
    Noma Dumezweni
    Noma Dumezweni
    • Edith Sikeloas Edith Sikelo
    Lemogang Tsipa
    • Mike Kachigundaas Mike Kachigunda
    Joseph Marcell
    Joseph Marcell
    • Chief Wembeas Chief Wembe
    Martin Githinji
    • Reginald Nwachias Reginald Nwachi
    Melvin Alusa
    • Justin Mitwaas Justin Mitwa
    • Director
      • Chiwetel Ejiofor
    • Writers
      • Chiwetel Ejiofor(adaptation)
      • William Kamkwamba(based on the book by)
      • Bryan Mealer(based on the book by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    William Kamkwamba was born in the country of Malawi, in Africa. When he was fourteen years old, a terrible drought hit the village where he lived. People had nothing to eat. Being an excellent student and very fond of physics, William decides to save his native village from starvation. In the library he finds books on physics. After studying the books, he got an idea to build a wind generator, to provide electricity to his family. —Peter-Patrick76 (peter-patrick@mail.com)
    malawifarmingfaminegrainrain62 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Based on the Incredible True Story
    • Genres
      • Biography
      • Drama
      • History
    • Certificate
      • TV-PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Chiwetel Ejiofor had to learn the Malawi language spoken in the film, Chichewa.
    • Goofs
      Times passes but the baby of the family does not grow up.
    • Quotes

      Trywell Kamkwamba: Democracy. Democracy is just like imported cassava. It rots quickly.

    • Soundtracks
      Bilo
      Written by Justin Vali
      Performed by The Justin Vali Quartett
      Produced by Paddy Bush

    User reviews201

    Review
    Top review
    Really good
    This film tells the story of a young boy who saves his village from starvation.

    The film is well made. The story is gripping and heartbreaking. The scene where people chase a food truck reminds me how incredibly fortunate I am. Acting is very strong, and the production is very good too. I enjoyed watching this, though the story is hard to watch.
    helpful•31
    5
    • Gordon-11
    • Mar 2, 2019

    FAQ1

    • Is this movie rated?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 1, 2019 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Official Netflix
      • Official Netflix
    • Languages
      • Arabic
      • Nyanja
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Rüzgârı Dizginleyen Çocuk
    • Filming locations
      • Malawi
    • Production companies
      • BBC Films
      • BFI Film Fund
      • Blue Sky Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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