MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

2019 · 113 min

A heartfelt, slow-building tale of ingenuity and family bonds against harsh odds, quietly inspiring without being saccharine.

Directed by
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Genres
Drama, History
Starring
Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aïssa Maïga
Overview
Against all the odds, a thirteen year old boy in Malawi invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Stream in the UK
  • Netflix
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Genres
Drama, History
Starring
Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aïssa Maïga
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • earneststrength 3 of 3
  • upliftingstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • survival
  • family
  • politics
  • education
  • healing
Places
  • countryside
  • small town
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror0
Humour2
Realism9
Romance1
Tension5
Darkness5
Complexity4
Emotional weight8

More like this

Titles like The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Movie

Pather Panchali

1955

A slow, lyrical immersion into rural poverty and childhood wonder, quietly devastating in its tenderness and loss.

Earnest, melancholic · about survival and family

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • survival
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
125 min
Details
Pather PanchaliHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Not One Less

1999

A quiet, neorealist slice of life that immerses you in rural poverty and a child's stubborn determination, leaving a lingering sense of hope.

Earnest, melancholic · about survival and politics · true story

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • survival
  • politics
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
106 min
Details
Not One LessHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

I Swear

2025

A heartfelt, sometimes painful true story that balances raw struggle with warmth and gentle humour, leaving you moved and hopeful.

Earnest, uplifting · about family and healing · true story

Via
  • earnest
  • uplifting
  • family
  • healing
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
121 min
Details
I SwearHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Lorenzo's Oil

1992

A harrowing yet inspiring true story of parental determination against medical odds, emotionally draining but ultimately hopeful.

Earnest, uplifting · about survival and family · true story

Via
  • earnest
  • uplifting
  • survival
  • family
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
135 min
Details
Lorenzo's OilHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Good Lie

2014

A heartfelt and earnest drama that balances painful memories with warmth and hope, asking for emotional engagement rather than spectacle.

Earnest, uplifting · about survival and family · true story

Via
  • earnest
  • uplifting
  • survival
  • family
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details
The Good LieHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

12 Years a Slave

2013

A harrowing, unflinching immersion into cruelty and endurance, anchored by quiet dignity and devastating emotional weight.

Earnest, melancholic · about survival and family · true story

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • survival
  • family
  • true story
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
134 min
Details
12 Years a SlaveHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

October Sky

1999

A warm, earnest underdog story that quietly builds to a satisfying, tear-tinged triumph.

Earnest, uplifting · about family and education · true story

Via
  • earnest
  • uplifting
  • family
  • education
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
107 min
Details
October SkyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Village Next to Paradise

2024

A slow, wind-swept immersion into a family's quiet resilience amid hardship, demanding patience but rewarding with raw emotional truth.

Earnest, melancholic · about survival and family

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • survival
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
133 min
Details
The Village Next to ParadiseHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Southerner

1945

A slow, heartfelt struggle against nature and poverty, with moments of warmth and quiet resilience.

Earnest, melancholic · about survival and family

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • survival
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
92 min
Details
The SouthernerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Temple Grandin

2010

A warm, precise portrait of a singular mind overcoming obstacles, made vivid and emotional by a deft lead performance.

Earnest, uplifting · about survival and family · true story

Via
  • earnest
  • uplifting
  • survival
  • family
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
108 min
Details
Temple GrandinHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Rob Peace

2024

A somber, heartfelt true-story drama that weighs ambition against loyalty and injustice, leaving a lingering sense of tragedy.

Same writer: Chiwetel Ejiofor · Earnest, melancholic · about family · true story

Also
Same writer: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • family
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
120 min
Details
Rob PeaceHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Minari

2020

A tender, quietly absorbing look at a family's hardscrabble life, blending warmth and strain into something deeply human.

Earnest, melancholic · about family and healing

Via
  • earnest
  • melancholic
  • family
  • healing
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
115 min
Details
MinariHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • Netflix

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, history
Directed by
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Written by
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Starring
Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aïssa Maïga, Lily Banda, Joseph Marcell, Lemogang Tsipa, Philbert Falakeza, Noma Dumezweni
Music
Antonio Pinto
Cinematography
Dick Pope
Runtime
113 min
Country
Malawi, United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages
Chichewa; Nyanja, English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata