'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind': The true story of William Kamkwamba which inspired the Netflix film

The film is based on the true story of a 14-year-old boy in Malawi, who built a wind turbine using scrap parts to help his family and the village battle famine

Upcoming Netflix movie 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind' is already creating quite a buzz, especially the true story of a Malawi boy who saved his village and family from famine by building a wind turbine on which it is based on.

The Netflix film was written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who also stars in a pivotal role.

William Kamkwamba rose to fame in 2006 when local reporters wrote about his makeshift wind turbine made using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves.

The fact that the then 14-year-old school drop out built a wind turbine in 2002 spread through the blogosphere, and soon global publications like the Wall Street Journal were writing about William and his windmill.

The crude but operable windmill eventually powered four lights, complete with homemade switches and a circuit breaker made from nails and wire. A second machine turned a water pump that helped William's family endure the drought and famine that loomed with every season in the country.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

'A Man on the Inside' Season 3 follows Charles as he investigates a new case involving a San Francisco socialite.
8 hours ago
The comeback has an air date, but what brings the familiar face back to Port Charles remains under wraps.
9 hours ago
'Line of Fire' starring Peter Krause airs new episodes every Monday on NBC
17 hours ago
Season 28 of ‘Law & Order: SVU’, starring Mariska Hargitay, will return on October 8 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC
18 hours ago
‘R.J. Decker’ Season 2 Episode 2 ended with a dramatic arrest in the murder of Victor Ochoa but there's more to the story
20 hours ago
Teagan returns to explore her connections with Josh and Cam in a potential ‘love square.’
22 hours ago
ABC reveals a major Season 3 update for 'High Potential' as Kaitlin Olson and the cast prepare for the show's highly anticipated return.
1 day ago
Jensen Ackles stars in the MGM+ crime thriller, based on John Sandford’s novel, as detective Lucas Davenport, who faces a deadly serial killer.
1 day ago
Chanel Cresswell joins Damson Idris and Timothy Spall in Netflix’s political thriller 'The Lords’ Day,' based on Michael Dobbs’ novel.
1 day ago
Adeel Akhtar, Ciarán Hinds and more stars join A24 and BBC’s time-travel drama 'Ministry of Time', based on Kaliane Bradley’s novel.
1 day ago