EXCLUSIVE: Oscar-nominated filmmaker Matt Ogens is revealing details of his new project, days after winning a News and Documentary Emmy for his feature film Madu.
Ogens recently wrapped principal photography on Love and War, “a gripping real-life love story set against the chaos of modern warfare.” It follows Alex Potter, a war photographer, and Pete Reed, an aid worker, “who documented their relationship from the moment they met, offering a raw, intimate, and deeply human portrait of love under fire,” according to a release. “Filmed across conflict zones in Ukraine and Iraq, the documentary draws from hundreds of hours of personal archival and original footage, culminating in a transformative and shocking conclusion.”
Alex Potter (left) and Pete Reed in ‘Love and War’
Courtesy of Alex Potter
“With Love and War, I set out to create a film that doesn’t just show war, but lets you feel what it’s like to live through it,” Ogens said in a statement. “I traveled with Alex to Iraq, Ukraine, and across the U.S., alongside a small, tight-knit crew, capturing original footage that we combined with the personal, self-shot material from Alex and Pete. The result is a raw and immersive experience—a visceral portrait of love, fear, and resilience in the most extreme conditions. This isn’t a film about geopolitics; it’s about being human when everything is at stake.”
Deadline understands the project is being represented for worldwide sales by independent sales group 2AM (Materialists, Babygirl, Oscar-nominated Past Lives). Christine D’Souza Gelb and Julia Nelson of 2AM serve as executive producers on Love and War. Producer is Gary Bryman, executive producer Alex Smith, and co-producer Jon Michael Ryan.
Filmmaker Matt Ogens
Courtesy of Netflix
Ogens holds the rights to a potential fictionalized version of Love and War. The director earned his Academy Award nomination in 2022 for the short documentary Audible, an immersion into the lives of high school football players, as well as their friends and supporters, at the Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, MD. Netflix acquired the documentary, which premiered at Hot Docs in Toronto.
Anthony Madu dancing in the streets of Ajangbadi, Nigeria
Disney/Motheo Moeng
Madu, a Disney Original Documentary directed by Ogens, co-directed by Nigerian filmmaker Joel Kachi Benson and produced by Hunting Lane, tells the extraordinary true story of Anthony Madu, a young ballet dancer from Nigeria who became a sensation after a 44-second video of him went viral, showing him dancing barefoot in the rain in the streets of Ajangbadi. “The clip, which captured hearts around the world with more than 16 million views, led to Anthony receiving a scholarship to the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in the UK.”
The film won Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary at the 46th News and Documentary Emmys in New York on June 26.
“I’m deeply grateful and humbled by this Emmy win for Madu,” said Ogens. “This honor belongs to our incredible teams across three continents — and most of all, to Anthony Madu, whose courage and spirit are the heart of this film. Madu is a story of resilience and hope, and I’m proud to have helped bring it to the world.”
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