The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

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.

This is a true story about a boy named William Kamkwamba - an ingenious boy who harnessed wind energy by building a turbine to salvage his village from extinction, a village affected by floods, famine and hunger, a village with no electricity or running water supply. This is truly a heartbreaking story about the inordinate sufferings faced by an African country- Malawi, but the relevance is found in many such countries affected by global climate change, yet it's a story of inspiration and courage- courage to break the shackles that bind you to extreme grief and poverty against all odds. Many a times we take our privileges for granted without even taking into consideration that there are families who are unable to meet even basic needs. With only 1 meal/day, William's family was on the verge of death by starvation. His strong determination regenerates hopes not only for his family, but also for his village.

As someone who was born in Zambia, grew up in Zimbabwe and lived in the short-lived Central African Federation of those 2 countries plus Malawi, this film meant a great deal. It felt and sounded very authentic, the characters spoke and behaved like real people facing problems that make many of ours (speaking as an Australian) seem minor in comparison. Like how to get a decent if elementary education and avoiding the lure of ready cash at the expense of the environment and future agricultural productivity. When you have to sell the tin roofing of your house and replace it with thatch. Beautifully filmed, acted and directed.

What a great movie - powerful acting, cinematography and story line. Heartwarming, powerful and emotional - it brought tears of sadness and joy! Thoroughly recommend.

This is the kind of film awards were made for. I hope it wins many.

This was an incredible movie. It does not hide the brutal realities of life as an African farmer. As someone who was born and raised in the continent, I can tell you that everything is legit. They even went the extra mile and incorporated the local language into the majority of the dialogue instead of having it be all in English. This is a powerful and inspirational film. I highly recommend it.