The Story ⚡
Wingonia Ikpi makes her directorial debut with an introspective family drama that confronts abandonment, resentment, and the fragile pursuit of redemption.
On July 11, 2025, Prime Video will premiere ‘The Lost Days,’ a new Nollywood family drama that probes the fault lines of abandonment, resentment, and redemption.
Wingonia Ikpi’s debut feature, the ninth installment under the First Features Project, promises to bring a fresh perspective to the complexities of Nigerian family life. With a cast that pairs seasoned veterans like Ifeoma Fafunwa and Bimbo Manuel with emerging talent, including Baaj Adebule, Cynthia Clarke, and Durotimi Okutagidi, ‘The Lost Days’ is poised to dissect the intricacies of family dynamics with unflinching candor.
At the center of the story is Chisom, played by theatre director Ifeoma Fafunwa in her screen acting debut. A wealthy woman in remission from lymphoma cancer, Chisom returns to Abeokuta to make peace with the family she abandoned years earlier.
What begins as a journey of healing takes a darker turn when she disappears without a trace, leaving her loved ones to confront old wounds that never properly healed.
The film poses challenging questions about whether forgiveness is always possible and whether some family fractures run too deep to be mended. Bimbo Manuel delivers a nuanced performance as Baba Kola, Chisom’s former lover, caught between lingering feelings and present reality.
Baaj Adebule appears as Moses, while Durotimi Okutagidi plays Kola and Cynthia Clarke portrays Nkem, Chisom’s daughter, who must navigate her complicated relationship with her mother’s return.
The script, written by Abdul TJ and Paul S. Rowlston, leans into the emotional messiness of family and all the stuff we pretend isn’t there. The film’s weight comes from its honest portrayal of intergenerational trauma, unresolved grief, and the quiet violence that exists in many Nigerian homes where difficult conversations get buried under tradition and silence.
In Summary
Steve Gukas, Dotun Olakunri, Chioma Ezeani, and Bola Atta produced the project under the First Features banner, a collaboration between Native Filmworks and Michelangelo Productions that empowers new voices in African cinema.
Wingonia Ikpi brings her background in talent management to the director’s chair, crafting a story that explores how love, regret, and redemption intersect in deeply human ways.
The Lost Days premieres July 11, 2025, on Prime Video.
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