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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) on Netflix

NR20191h 53mDramaHistory

Schoolboy William Kamkwamba repairs radios and studies in the library when his family cannot pay his tuition. As drought and famine strike Wimbe, he searches for a way to bring water back.

  • Netflix4.1/5
  • IMDb7.6/1053,628 votes
  • Rotten Tomatoes86%

Trailer

Plot summary

William Kamkwamba is a schoolboy in Wimbe, Malawi, where his family farms. He repairs radios for neighbors and searches the junkyard for electronic parts. When his parents cannot pay his tuition, the school bans him. He gets his science teacher, Mr. Kachigunda, to let him continue attending class and use the library, where he reads about electrical engineering and energy production. A drought then destroys the family's crops, and famine spreads through Wimbe. Government rationing leads to unrest as people go hungry. William wants to save his village, so he studies how to build a windmill that can power the town's broken water pump. He gathers what parts he can and works out a plan, but he still needs materials and help to turn his idea into a working machine.

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Cast

Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.

  • The film was adapted into a stage musical of the same name by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It premiered in Stratford-upon-Avon in February 2026, then moved to London's West End for a 12-week season at @SohoPlace running from 25 April to 18 July 2026.

Stills

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