The directorial debut of Chiwetel Ejiofor “The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind” recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It also screened at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film was inspired by a true life story and based upon the book by William Kamkwamba.
Produced by Andrea Calderwood and Gail Egan, the film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lily Banda, Aïssa Maïga, and Maxwell Simba. It will be in Cinemas around the UK February 22 and available for streaming on Netflix March 1.
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“The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind”
“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” tells the story of Kamkwamba as a thirteen-year-old who redeems his people from famine. His parents are no longer able to pay his fees and the school forces him to leave. Nevertheless, he secretly sneaks back into the school library to read. This empowers him to build a windmill using parts from his father’s bicycle. His community in Malawi will be redeemed from famine with the windmill he builds.
The British Nigerian actor insisted on using locations in Malawi in the shooting. Though locations in South Africa or Kenya were initially suggested to him. He, in fact, chose to shoot right next door to the house and in the neighbourhood in which Kamkwama grew up. That gave the film an incredible authenticity as an African movie. It took six weeks to complete the shooting. Watch trailer below:
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