The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Science on Screen: Weird Weather

Showings

Ragtag Cinema Mon, Mar 31, 2025 6:00 PM
Film Info
Release Year:2019
Genre:Drama
History
Production Country:Malawi
United Kingdom
USA
Cast/Crew Info
Director:Chiwetel Ejiofor
Cast:Maxwell Simba
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Aïssa Maïga
Lily Banda
Joseph Marcell

Description

After poor weather causes a famine in his rural village in Malawi, young William (Maxwell Simba) is forced to drop out of school when his father (Chiwetel Ejiofor) can no longer afford the tuition. Bright and precocious William searches for a solution to save his community and continue learning. When he learns about wind energy after sneaking into his former school’s library, he decides to build a windmill pump to irrigate the land. Based on the inspiring memoir of the same name by William Kamkwamba, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a powerful tribute to the importance of science education.

This screening will be preceded by a lecture from Neil I. Fox, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Missouri-Columbia.