Inside ‘Madu’- The Film: How a Viral Lagos Dance Clip Led to a Disney-Backed Documentary

Before there was a documentary, there was a viral moment.

In 2020, a short video of a young Nigerian boy dancing ballet barefoot in the rain travelled across the internet at lightning speed. The dancer was Anthony Madu, and the clip, filmed outside a Lagos dance studio, challenged stereotypes about ballet, masculinity and access — all in under a minute.

What followed is now the subject of Madu, a documentary backed by Disney and directed by Matthew Ogens alongside Nigerian filmmaker Joel “Kachi Benson” Kachi. Rather than freeze Madu in that viral moment, the film asks a harder question: what happens after the world applauds and scrolls on?

Madu follows Anthony as he leaves Nigeria to pursue formal ballet training abroad, navigating discipline, cultural displacement and the weight of expectation that viral fame brings. The filmmakers deliberately resist turning the story into a neat fairytale. Instead, the documentary lingers on process — long rehearsals, emotional distance from home, and the pressure to justify opportunity.

Disney’s involvement helped elevate the project to a global audience, but the film remains grounded in an African perspective, shaped in part by Benson’s intimate, character-driven approach. The result is a story that feels less like internet folklore and more like lived experience.

As Madu continues its international run, it stands as a reminder that virality opens doors, but structure sustains careers. The clip made Anthony visible. The film shows what visibility actually costs — and what it can make possible when the right support follows.