Pulling Power from the Sky
The Story of Makani
"We were glued to the screen.”
"I meant to just watch the preview but I watched the whole film."
"Simultaneously heartbreaking and super inspiring: had me in the edge of my seat a few times."
Pulling Power from the Sky:
The Story of Makani
is a feature length documentary that chronicles the thirteen-year quest of an eclectic band of scientists, artists, sailors, pilots, and engineers, as they team up to design and build kites that can efficiently harness energy from the wind.
“There's no escaping. We just have to fix climate change. I have hope in the fact that we will stay and fight because we have to.”
-Saul Griffith, Makani co-founder
Solving hard problems
Applying playful experimentation and a rigorous, systematic approach to trying, failing, and trying again, the team expands the definition of what it means to “go fly a kite”—showing us just how far an idea fueled by passion, imagination, and hard work can be pushed.
“I think nobody really knows, first of all, if it's practical to have an energy kite and the right way to do it, you know? And so there's a lot of questions that need to be answered.”
-Kurt Hallamasek, Makani Avionics & Controls Engineer
This film was created in 2020 with the aim of sharing knowledge gained in the field of airborne wind, while weaving together intimate and affectionate footage of a team working against the clock to make an entirely new form of renewable energy using kites. It is our sincere hope that the film will appeal not just to others working to make energy using kites, but to anyone interested in solving hard problems.
Written & Directed
by Kate Stirr
Edited & Narrated
by Andrea Dunlap
