In ‘My Father’s Shadow,’ family memory and Nigerian history are resurrected

A fraternal journey through memory and loss, “My Father’s Shadow” has emerged as one of this year’s most acclaimed films, making history as the first Nigerian production to be featured in the Cannes Film Festival’s official selection.

British Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr. and his brother Wale were mere toddlers when their father died, leaving them with only fragments of memories. As adults, they embarked on a creative journey to answer a profound question: What if they could spend just one day with the father they barely knew?

“With zero context, he sent it to me and I just had this real emotional reaction,” Akinola Davies recalled in an interview at Cannes last year, describing his response to the script his brother sent him in 2012. “I actually cried when I read it because I had never conceived of the idea of spending a day with my father and what we would say to him and what he would be like.”

The resulting film, set in Lagos in 1993, stars “Gangs of London” actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù as Folarin, the father who unexpectedly appears at the family home. Throughout a single day, he takes his young sons, played by Chibuike Marvellous Egbo and Godwin Egbo, on a journey through Lagos that becomes transformative for the boys.

The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a pivotal moment in Nigerian history, when democracy hung in the balance after Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida refused to accept democratic election results following his coup. This political tension provides a poignant parallel to the family’s story, both representing fleeting moments of hope.

“It’s kind of the confluence of memory, dream and hearsay,” Davies explains about creating their father’s character. “How do you work through all of that to create a portrait?”

Since its Cannes debut last May, “My Father’s Shadow” has garnered substantial critical acclaim. The UK selected it as their Oscar submission, while it received 12 nominations from the British Independent Film Awards. Davies has been nominated for best British debut by the BAFTAs, and at the Gotham Awards in New York, he won breakthrough director while Dìrísù claimed outstanding lead performance.

For Nigeria’s vibrant film industry, known globally as Nollywood, the film’s international success represents a significant milestone. “It means a lot to people back in Nigeria. It means we can exist on these platforms and our stories can exist in these spaces,” Davies said. “It’s a testament to talent that’s around in Nigeria. It’s a testament to the stories that are there. It’s a testament to the industry that’s flourishing.”

Though produced as a British-Nigerian collaboration, Davies firmly positions the film within the context of Nigerian cinema. “The Nigerian press asks me a lot if the film is Nollywood or not Nollywood. I would say it is because all the technicians work in Nollywood,” he explained. “You can’t borrow people from that whole industry and say it’s not part of it.”

The film draws considerable atmosphere from its Lagos setting, capturing the city’s unique character. “Point a camera at anything in Lagos, and it’s so cinematic,” Davies observed. “I have this real sense of romance for Nigeria. Everyone’s like, ‘It’s super chaotic,’ but for me it’s actually very still. Just driving around in the car feels really cinematic to me.”

For the Davies brothers, creating this film was deeply personal. When Akinola was just 20 months old and Wale was 4, their father developed epilepsy rapidly and died during a seizure while lying in bed next to their mother. The process of making the film revealed that grief is rarely complete.

“Being the age I am, I’ve done my grieving,” Davies reflects. “But just before we shot, I realized I was still grieving. Our prep started about a week after the anniversary of my dad’s passing. Every year, my mum calls me or texts me. I took my brother to his grave, put flowers down and made kind of a ceremony out of it.”

Beyond its critical acclaim and festival success, “My Father’s Shadow” represents a deeply personal achievement for Davies, whose first name honors his late father. While his BAFTA-nominated short “Lizard” initially placed him on Britain’s filmmaking radar, this feature debut has firmly established him as a significant emerging directorial talent.

“My Father’s Shadow” releases in North American theaters this Friday through distribution company Mubi.