Movie Title: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Year of Release: 2019
Streamed On: Netflix
Director: Chinwetel Ejiofor
Cast: Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aïssa Maïga, Lily Banda, Joseph Marcell as Chief Wimbe, Noma Dumezweni, Lemogang Tsipa, Philbert Falakeza.
I can bring water, I can make rain.
William Kamkwamba
It was 2001 and Wimbe, an agrarian village in Malawi, was facing a number of challenges. First, the rains, which were needed for a good harvest, had turned into floods, devastating farmlands and leading to poor yields. Second, the trees that served as rain breaks were being bought at giveaway prices by a neighbouring tobacco company, leading to even more flooding. If something was not done quickly, the villagers were sure to die of hunger.
Faced with this situation, the farmers, unsuccessfully, looked to the government for succor. Rather than provide succor, however, the government turned on the villagers and even beat their chief. Hope was being gradually worn away, and those who could afford to were fleeing to other towns. The few who could not leave were left with two options: die or get water to farm in the dry season.
Enter The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. William Kamkwamba was a 13-year-old precocious boy whose education was on the line because his parents could not pay his fees. But, an innate love for tinkering with electrical and mechanical equipment, an experience repairing neighbours’ radio sets, a thirst for knowledge and a can-do spirit endowed him with all that was needed to save Wimbe in their dire moment. Using a crude combination of batteries, bicycle parts, and other electrical assortments, William built a windmill that produced electricity to power a water pump which was used to irrigate the villagers’ farms. His action not only saved the village but also opened doors for him beyond his dreams.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind is a story of resilience, innovation, and courage based on a memoir written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. From its opening scenes, we are taken right into a rich coexistence of tradition side by side with religion. The inclusion of masquerades who bore a strong resemblance to the Igbo masquerades described in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and those seen in the western part of Nigeria positioned the movie as a timely cultural piece.
What made this Chinwetel Ejiofor’s directoral debut shine, was how he was able to touch on different themes including deforestation, local and world politics, family ties, effects of the 9-11 terrorist attack, survival, culture and more, without veering away from the focal story.
There are many lessons to be learnt from The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. One, no knowledge is ever wasted. When William was scavenging for scraps and fixing radio sets, he never knew a day would come when he would have to rely on his experience to save his village. Two, an attempt to do something different will not always be met with an open embrace but, if you persevere, your detractors will end up being top supporters. Case in point was when William’s father, Trywell, initially refused to help William. Thirdly, love is good, but it shouldn’t stand in the way of achieving your dreams. Annie, William’s sister, was unable to further her education first, because her parents could not afford it, but later because she chose to elope with her lover. Fourthly, there’s a limit to how far you can go if you do not involve others in achieving your dreams. With the right support however, fulfilling your goals become easy.
Above all, the movie teaches that if we would only look within, we can solve the problems facing us as individuals, communities, nations, and our continent. This would eliminate the need to keep relying on governments, aids or other external sources.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind is sure to leave the viewer feeling mellow, inspired and motivated to dare something different themselves. On a side note, it would have been good to know if William was able to fix Mr Bamusi’s radio ):
Reviewed by Oriyomi Adebare-Anthony
Bio: Oriyomi Adebare-Anthony is a writer, editor and a volunteer with OPTG Africa.