‘Madu’ on Disney+, A Moving Doc About A Young Dancer’s Journey From Nigeria To Ballet School In England - April 5, 2024
"In the 360-degree program at Elmhurst, Anthony lives in campus housing with his fellow ballet student Samuel. It’s an adjustment – not only the rigors and expectations of formal dance training, but lots of regular everyday school stuff. Naturally quiet, Anthony also works to find his way socially at Elmhurst, a dynamic 'Madu' establishes by respecting the solitude he carries with him but punctuating it with heartening buddy moments at the lunch table or his friends asking about his life in Nigeria. There is no narrator here, no additional onscreen titles, no cutaways to interviews with subject experts or the people in Anthony’s life. Instead, Madu builds a steady inspirational current through music, thoughtful cinematography, and the limitless potential of young people pursuing movement and ballet with the pointed encouragement of Elmhurst’s teaching staff." - Johnny Loftus, Decider
5 Children's Movies to Stream Right Now - April 5, 2024
"The filmmakers Matt Ogens and Joel ‘Kachi Benson beautifully capture the mixture of sorrow and pride that Anthony’s mother feels as he leaves his home country, and they balance the raw, emotional moments with lyrical scenes that show Anthony dancing in front of a bonfire at night or leaping through the streets of Lagos as if he were onstage at the Royal Opera House... It’s an uplifting story about sacrificing for your passion that doesn’t gloss over truly tough moments." - Dina Gachman, The New York Times
'Madu' Movie Review - March 29, 2024
"The style of the documentary is “fly on the wall.” Filmmakers Matthew Ogens and Joel Kachi Benson include occasional interviews with Anthony and his parents but no talking head experts. Cinematography by Charlie Goodger and Motheo Moeng is intimate and lyrical, with contemplative music that contrasts with the classical pieces accompanying the dance lessons and performance. An opening scene shows us Anthony dancing near a fire, his movements in the flickering light showing the fiery spirit that impels him. Near the end, he is on the beach, wading into endless water stretching all the way to the horizon, indicating the larger, more centered sense of himself and his passion for ballet made possible by access to teachers and other dancers, and a sense of possibility." - Nell Minow, RogerEbert.com
Behind the Title: Interview with PS260's Georgia Dodson - January 10, 2024
Madu to open SBIFF '24 - January 16, 2024
Underplayed to Premiere at TIFF '20