MY FATHER’S SHADOW

NIGERIA, IRELAND, UK | 2025 | COLOR | DCP | 94’| ENGLISH

A father away from his family for long, takes his two children and travels from the village to the bustling Lagos, where he will claim a salary he is owed. As the three of them explore a restless, filled with contradictions metropolis, political tensions simmer in the background, leading to the turbulent elections and the military coup of 1993 in Nigeria. The long-awaited film debut of the multifaceted Akinola Davis combines the tenderness of a child's gaze with the harshness of urban everyday life and infuses a delightful autobiographical coming-of-age story (that unfolds in a single day) with a strikingly modern neorealism. The film is the result of a contemporary aesthetic carved out in new media and an obvious lyrical sensibility. Its coming heralds the arrival of an important director, a view reinforced by the special mention it received in the Caméra d'Or competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Th.K.

DIRECTOR: Akinola Davies
SCREENWRITERS: Wale Davies, Akinola Davies
DoP: Jermaine Canute Edwards
MUSIC: CJ Mirra, Duval Timothy
EDITOR: Omar Guzmán
PRINCIPAL CAST: Sope Dirisu, Efon Wini, Godwin Egbo, Chibuike Marvellous Egbo

AKINOLA DAVIES
Nigerian-British filmmaker, writer and video artist, known for his work that explores themes of race, identity, and community. He gained international recognition for his 2021 short film “Lizard”, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. His multidisciplinary work includes documentaries, music videos and a career as a DJ. This is his feature film debut.

FILMOGRAPHY
2025 My Father’s Shadow