Theatre director and activist Ifeoma Fafunwa has made her screen acting debut in The Lost Days, a new Nigerian drama that premiered on Prime Video on July 11.
Fafunwa, who is best known for her acclaimed stage production Hear Word!, plays the lead role of Chisom, a wealthy woman returning to her hometown of Abeokuta after surviving lymphoma, only to suddenly disappear.
Speaking to Nollywire, the Nigerian-American revealed that she almost turned down the role out of fear and self-doubt.
“I almost didn’t go to the audition. I had booked a haircut and a trip distractions,” she said.
When she eventually landed the role, panic set in.
“What if I get on set and do a shitty job? Will the actors I direct still trust me after that?” she asked.
The film, directed by Wingonia Ikpi and backed by the First Features Project, was filmed in Abeokuta. Fafunwa said she was drawn to the character because it mirrored her own emotional state at the time.
“She’s just come through an illness, she’s stepping into a whole new version of herself, but doesn’t quite know how to do that yet. And I realised—that’s exactly where I was.”
She admitted to feeling unprepared at first, forgetting her lines and struggling with the transition from stage to screen.
“I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t even know my lines properly… But after the first scene, I knew: this is real. I had to catch up quickly.”
The Lost Days tells a reflective story that explores grief, intergenerational trauma and identity. It marks the ninth release under the First Features Project, a filmmaking initiative supporting first-time female directors.
Fafunwa, who has spent more than a decade spotlighting women’s voices in theatre, said the experience of acting in front of the camera was humbling but necessary.
“Try it… Some people are stronger on film than stage. But if you’ve done one, it doesn’t mean you can’t do the other.”
Directed by Wingonia Ikpi, the film is now streaming on Prime Video and has been praised for its emotional depth and quiet intensity.
