Sometimes the Movie IS Better!

Don and I caught an interview with the Nigerian/British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah a couple of weeks ago and were very excited to see the film he directed and starred in. https://yhoo.it/2OcLiEo

"The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind," was a huge hit back around 2008 in the library. Many book groups were discussing this beautifully uplifting memoir by William Kamkwamba about his childhood in Malawi, the years of drought followed by flooding rains that ruined the crops and caused widespread starvation, and the way young William convinced his disbelieving family and village to help him construct a windmill as a means of generating electricity.

But sometimes our limited imaginations simply cannot wrap themselves around this kind of poverty, nor can we visualize the schools and libraries that the children of poor farmers pay to attend. To Ejiofor's extreme credit, not only does he bring passion and compassion to the screen, filming not on a studio set but in Malawi using indigenous children, he also took the time to learn the local dialect, Chichewa, sprinkling it liberally throughout the film, thereby demonstrating his respect for the people of that country.

Ejiofor brings so much humanity to this project. William Kamkwamba's family and the villagers exude pride even as they struggle. We learn about the politics involved in bringing money to the small towns where corrupt politicians spend little time and local chiefs often find their hands tied. Because of a generous hearted librarian, William is allowed to spend time with his nose in dated science texts, but not so dated that he can't teach himself the basics of wind powered generators.

William's greatest challenge is convincing his family, still steeped in tribal superstitions, that his brainstorm just might work, bringing water to starving fields and food to a starving country. We are witness to a deeply loving family

and a father/son dynamic that swells the heart. In these troubling times a film like this is balm for the soul. And better still, the memoir will get even more attention, selling more copies, and guaranteeing that William will be able to take care of his village for years to come. Head to your library or Netflix now!