DramaHistory

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

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

Release Date : 2019-02-14

Language :EnglishChichewa; Nyanja

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : ParticipantBBC FilmBFIPotboiler Productions

Production Country : MalawiUnited KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles : The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Cast

Character Name : William Kamkwamba

Original Name : Maxwell Simba

Gender : Male

Character Name : Trywell Kamkwamba

Original Name : Chiwetel Ejiofor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Agnes Kamkwamba

Original Name : Aïssa Maïga

Gender : Female

Character Name : Annie Kamkwamba

Original Name : Lily Banda

Gender : Female

Character Name : Chief Wembe

Original Name : Joseph Marcell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mike Kachigunda

Original Name : Lemogang Tsipa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gilbert Wimbe

Original Name : Philbert Falakeza

Gender : Male

Character Name : Edith Sikelo

Original Name : Noma Dumezweni

Gender : Female

Character Name : Daniel Ngwata

Original Name : Khalani Makunje

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jeremiah Kamkwamba

Original Name : Robert Agengo

Gender : Male

Character Name : John Kamkwamba

Original Name : Felix Lemburgo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Ofesi

Original Name : Raymond Ofula

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Bamusi

Original Name : Rophium Banda

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charity Malamusi

Original Name : Kelvin Maxwell Ngoma

Gender : Male

Character Name : President Muluzi

Original Name : Edwin Chonde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Priest

Original Name : Fiskan Makawa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clubhouse Boy

Original Name : Beatus Ble Msamange

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tiyamike Kamkwamba (6 months)

Original Name : Trevor Dominic

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tiyamike Kamkwamba (6 months)

Original Name : Truth Dominic

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tiyamike Kamkwamba (1 year)

Original Name : Rashid Tambala

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tiyamike Kamkwamba (1 year)

Original Name : Latifa Tambala

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mkubwi

Original Name : Fredrick Lukhere

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shabani Mkubwi

Original Name : Hestingzi Phiri

Gender : Male

Character Name : Joe Godsten

Original Name : Samson Kambalu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reginald Nwachi

Original Name : Martin Githinji

Gender : Male

Character Name : Justin Mitwa

Original Name : Melvin Alusa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mizeck Chikankheni

Original Name : Amos Chimpokoser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Goeffrey

Original Name : Kelvin Chimpokoser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Charles Daud

Original Name : Eddie Mbugua

Gender : Male

Character Name : M.C.

Original Name : George Misinde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Scavenger

Original Name : Hope Chisano

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer 1

Original Name : Aaron Mhone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer 2

Original Name : Noel Mkubwi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Desk Clerk

Original Name : James Mhone

Gender : Male

Character Name : John Madisi

Original Name : Bruno Chitsulo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Alile Kamkwamba

Original Name : Hilde Phiri

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mika Kamkwamba

Original Name : Lomuthi Jere

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man in Admarc Queue

Original Name : Ian Chisekula

Gender : Male

Character Name : Farmer 1

Original Name : Owen Chikanken

Gender : Male

Character Name : Farmer 2

Original Name : Gospel Thawale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Farmer 3

Original Name : Edward Khomamphero

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy

Original Name : Rodgers Wagawa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Villager

Original Name : Grace Msiska

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-03-28

This is a great looking film depicting the abject poverty, despite their best efforts, of a subsistence farming community in Malawi. The cinematography is glorious as we follow the Kamkwamba family's struggles to educate their children and feed themselves at the same time - in the face of some pretty brutal government corruption and a severe drought. Son "William" (Maxwell Simba) is thirteen, and he has more than an average degree of nouse to him - he concludes, after studying a few engineering books in his school's library - that by cannibalising an old bike and an old ghetto-blaster, he can create a turbine mechanism that could be used to generate electrical power to pump water and help them to improve their harvest, and their lives... Chiwitel Ejiofor is his rather sceptical father, struggling under the pressures of keeping his family alive and the two have quite a forceful battle of wills as the young man attempts to convince his father that sacrificing the family's only mode of transport is a risk worth taking! I found the establishing parts of the story a bit too slow; once I understood the extent of their predicament and what the young man was trying to do, I was itching for him to succeed - and the behaviour of the father I found irritating and incongruous, slightly, with a man so keen on educating his family. That said, once it starts to focus on the project, I was astonished by the ingenuity of "William" and his young student friends as they materially change the lives of their famines for ever. It's a good film this - a try triumph of optimism over experience that I largely enjoyed watching.