Virtual Film Festival: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

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Join us for our Option Green Virtual Film Festival, where we will enjoy screenings of documentaries and films about climate change!

This film is available through Netflix. Do not have an account? We can provide you with a unique link. Please contact programs@ebpl.org if you require assistance with access.

Want to participate in a discussion after you watch? Join us on the EBPL Discord server. To receive a link, please email programs@ebpl.org . You will need to make a free Discord account to join.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind [2019 / TV-PG / 113 minutes]

William Kamkwamba is a 13-year-old living with his family in rural Malawi. As growing industrialization of the land and then famine threaten to destroy his family and his community, William is thrown out of the school he loves when his parents can no longer afford the fees. William sets his exceptional mind to come up with a solution, and sneaking back into the school library, he finds a way. First, though, he must convince his father Trywell to allow him to use the bones of his bicycle to build a windmill to irrigate the land. William succeeds with his invention and saves his village, whilst also assuring his own bright future. The film highlights an urgent truth: while talent is evenly distributed across the globe, opportunity and investment are not. It also reminds us that youth are a powerful force in tackling both local and global challenges and reminds us to believe in and invest in their capacity to change their communities, countries and the world for the better.

This event is sponsored by the East Brunswick Public Library and the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission, and funded by the American Library Association's, "Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change" pilot program.