Emmy award-winning documentary, MADU, returns home, Sun Sept 28 

From practising barefoot on the streets of Lagos to performing on stage in England, Disney Original Documentary’s MADU follows 12-year-old Anthony Madu as he leaves his home in Nigeria to study at one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the world, Elmhurst Ballet School.  Anthony, who has barely been out of his neighborhood in Lagos, finds himself thrust into a foreign new world where his wildest dream is suddenly within reach.  His journey is a story of extraordinary obstacles, an unexpected complication that threatens his dreams, courage, growth, and ultimately — his search for belonging

 

“As part of its release, MADU screened at multiple festivals including the opening night film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival,  the AFI New African Film Festival, and iRepresentation International Film Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. The film was nominated for two Emmys at the 2025 News and Documentary Emmys and took home the award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary. This Emmy win marks the first time a Nigerian has won an Emmy in a non-news category. 

THE biographical documentary, MADU, which fetched Nigeria its first Emmy award, will be specially screened in Lagos on Sunday, September 28, at the Alliance Francaise, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos It is the first time the 100-mins documentary will be shown in Nigeria since it won the Emmy last year.

MADU, a Disney Original Documentary, which early this year earned the Emmy Award for “Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary”, is the epic journey of Anthony Madu, a 12-year-old who leaves his home in Nigeria to study at the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in England.

Produced in 2021 but released officially in 2024, the documentary is co-directed by Nigerian Joel Kachi Benson and Briton, Matt Ogens, and produced by Hunting Lane, which specialises in auteur-driven narrative features, series and documentaries; and has produced over over 15 feature films including recent release Wildflower, starring Kiernan Shipka, Jean Smart, and Jacki Weaver; The Zookeeper’s Wife, starring Jessica Chastain; among others.

The synopsis of the film reads:

From practising barefoot on the streets of Lagos to performing on stage in England, Disney Original Documentary’s MADU follows 12-year-old Anthony Madu as he leaves his home in Nigeria to study at one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the world, Elmhurst Ballet School.  Anthony, who has barely been out of his neighborhood in Lagos, finds himself thrust into a foreign new world where his wildest dream is suddenly within reach.  His journey is a story of extraordinary obstacles, an unexpected complication that threatens his dreams, courage, growth, and ultimately — his search for belonging. It is built around the human theme of acceptance, which each of us seeks in our own lives — acceptance of who we are, acceptance of what we want to be. Anthony seeks acceptance on multiple stages.  At home in Nigeria, ballet is not an accepted path by which to make one’s way in life, especially not for a boy.  In the United Kingdom, he must learn to adapt to a very different culture and learn to fit in with some of the best young ballet dancers in the world.  Ultimately, Anthony must accept himself and work through unbelievable and unexpected obstacles.  In MADU, Anthony’s first steps into the world of professional dance create contrasts between the many worlds he lives in, and his journey to discover himself is at its center. also an incredible representation of the strength, resilience and talent present in so much of the Nigerian youth.

 Speaking on the origin of the story, multiple award-winning directors stated:

“It began with a video posted online. In it, an eleven-year-old Nigerian boy practices ballet on wet pavement as rain falls softly from above—equal parts raw, beautiful, and inspiring.  One night Producer Jamie Patricof came across this video and shared it with Director Matt Ogens (Matt was a director on Jamie’s first documentary series, and Jamie produced Matt’s first feature documentary). At the time, there was no name attributed to this ballet dancer, no location. It was just a week before it went viral.  Matt and executive producer Joshua Roth went down the internet rabbit hole in search of this anonymous, yet magnetic ballet dancer, which led Matt and Hunting Lane to a small community on the outskirts of Lagos called Ajangbadi and an inspirational boy named Anthony. From there, along with co-director Joel ‘Kachi Benson, and talented teams across three continents, the journey began. 

In their statement on the project, the directors state:

 “Our shared journey is one of curiosity, and about creating an understanding of different cultures through our connection with each other… Ultimately, this is a journey of discovery, growth, and belonging, themes we both personally relate to. Making Anthony’s voice heard is our ultimate goal, and we believe his extraordinary story is the most captivating, emotional, and riveting film either of us have told.”

And tracing the nature and process of the production, as well as the journey of the film so far, the directors said:

“As part of its release, MADU screened at multiple festivals including the opening night film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival,  the AFI New African Film Festival, and iRepresentation International Film Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. The film was nominated for two Emmys at the 2025 News and Documentary Emmys and took home the award for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary. This Emmy win marks the first time a Nigerian has won an Emmy in a non-news category.

“One of the most fascinating things about making this film was watching Anthony’s growth and change happen right before our eyes. When we began filming with Anthony he was a shy kid on the cusp of experiencing something of which he had only dreamt. Pursuing that dream would mean leaving home, and everything he had ever known; a challenge for anyone, much less a 12-year old. Over the course of the year we spent with him, however, we saw him take on the challenge of a new and strange environment.  We saw him work to figure out how he belonged both at home in the places he knew by heart, as well as out in a whole new world as an individual.

“By the time we were done filming, this shy kid from a small community on the outskirts of Lagos had evolved into a courageous young man. For us as filmmakers, experiencing this growth and change was not just inspiring, but an honour to witness and document this perfect illustration of the resilience of the human spirit.”

Profiles of the Directors

MATT OGENS: He is an Academy Award nominated and Emmy Award winning director and storyteller known for capturing authentic human stories through an evocative visual and narrative aesthetic. Details at: www.mattogens.com

KACHI BENSON: A Venice Lion and Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling and social impact, he uses both traditional 2D formats and immersive VR technology to tell powerful, human-centered stories across Nigeria and Africa, and is recognised as a pioneer in the use of Virtual Reality for storytelling in Nigeria. More at www.kachibenson.com

• Sgd by the Programme Directorate of the Foundation for the Promotion of Documentary Film in Africa, promoters of the iREP International Documentary Film Festival