“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” is the story of a Malawian boy who puts his education and science to work to build a wind turbine, saving his village from famine. The film, set to debut on Netflix, was shot in Malawi despite investor concerns.
The film deals with William Kamkwamba, a promising Malawian student who is always tinkering with batteries and broken radios. The livelihood of his family and his hometown depends on the annual harvest and has been put at risk by the unreliable weather.
To make matters worse, a local tobacco company chooses to capitalise on their misfortune by moving in on the largely uneducated farmers, offering to purchase their land in order to expand the company’s empire. William’s father is too proud to sell, but an impending dry season and no sign of respite means he can no longer afford to pay William’s school fees. The boy sneaks into his school library and attempts to study his way through the problem.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, who acted in 12 Years a Slave, wrote the screenplay and plays William’s father. He also makes his directorial debut on this project.
Speaking to Variety about the selection of his film by Netflix, Ejiofor said, “A global story such as this requires a global platform, and I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix on bringing William’s extraordinary tale of determination and inventiveness to audiences worldwide.”