William and the Windmill
{ feature documentary }
With only a library book as his guide, 14-year-old William Kamkwamba builds a windmill in his Malawian village that changes his life forever. Using junk parts and an inexhaustible imagination, he harnesses enough energy to power a generator that saves his family from famine and resuscitates his dying farming community.
An instant media sensation, the teen soon has the ability to chart a previously unimaginable future of TEDtalks, Ivy League schools, and speaking tours. But despite the help of an American entrepreneur who helps navigate his success, some changes threaten to capsize him. He was once just a kid back home, but suddenly he’s a village leader.
Away at school, the famous boy inventor struggles on a steep learning curve. Cameras capture the dramatic upheavals, external pressures, and subtle shifts of perspective in this inspiring story of a young man facing the changes that a humble homemade windmill set in motion.
Winner of the SXSW Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary, The Austin Chronicle calls it "a subtle but beautiful portrait," and Indiewire described it as "a fascinating look at the tricky balancing act of third world activism."
Director & Producer: Ben Nabors
Cinematographers: Michael Tyburski, Ben Nabors
Additional Cinematography: Julia Dengel, Manu Lapiere, Scott Thrift, Anthony Mathile, Joshua Nussbaum
Editors: Jonathan Oppenheim, Carlos Pavan
Composers: Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
A Tilting At Windmills Production
Complete credits at IMDB.
“A fascinating look at the tricky balancing act of third world activism.”
“The film shows William faced with a new set of challenges that arise largely from the incredible media attention and goodwill that his project generates. It neither celebrates nor condemns this period in his life; rather, it investigates a liminal space that, explored by a lesser artist, might leave you feeling dulled to the world you have entered. But Nabors thrives in such space—William’s world brims with palpable moral energy. ”
“‘William and the Windmill’ is not the documentary one might expect… a more nuanced alternative to the inevitable Hollywood version to come.”
“Asks important questions about international aid and development.”
“This documentary gracefully illuminates issues of black, white, rich, poor, hard work, pain, destiny, and dreams.”
Select Screenings & Awards
Winner Grand Jury Prize (South By Southwest, 2013)
Winner Best Documentary (Hardacre Film Festival, 2013)
Winner Best Documentary (Asheville Cinema Festival, 2013)
Winner Best Documentary (Flyway Film Festival, 2013)
Honoree at Cinema Eye Honors Awards, 2013
PBS's Best Documentaries of 2013
Included in Hot Docs “Docs for Schools” national program
