My Father’s Shadow and the weight of memory

My Father’s Shadow tells the semi-autobiographical tale of a man and the memories of his father. On paper the premise seems simple: two boys spend a day with their father in 1990s Lagos, but what Akinola Davies Jr. is able to do with the story to add emotion and complexity is a remarkable feat. Premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, it was not only honoured with a special recognition with the Golden Camera award but also made history as the first Nigerian film to appear in competition at Cannes.

A tone shaped by memory

What hits you first is the immediate tone that is set. Akinola Davies Jr. immediately creates a heaviness to his film, a sombreness that is matched with a subtle ethereal quality that perfectly replicates the feeling of reminiscing on a distant memory. For a large portion of the runtime, the audience is left to fester in the atmosphere of the film, experiencing the time period, culture and emotions that all swirl together to create as much of a mood piece as it is a narrative.

Performances at the centre

A film so personal and so intimate relies heavily on the strength of its performers and My Father’s Shadow is no different. The film is heightened by the three performances that take root at its centre. Beginning with the film’s titular father, Sope Dirisu infects the screen with a mysterious stoicism as Folarin. Much like how we view our parents at a young age, for much of My Father’s Shadow we are left to speculate about Folarin’s past, only learning the details of his situation through passing moments with a collection of characters from his past.

Alongside Dirisu’s Folarin is a pair of young boys who act as our perspective on the journey the three of them take. Aki and Remi are portrayed by real-life brothers Godwin Egbo and Chibuike Marvelous Egbo. This is a perfect choice for the film as there is an already built-in relationship between the two that the foundations of the early scenes are built upon. The two young boys do an incredible job at bringing a childish charm to the screen while also expertly dealing with the heavier and more emotional scenes that play out in the latter stages of My Father’s Shadow.

Politics in the background

My Father’s Shadow is also of political importance, balancing the emotional story of a father and his sons with the controversial Nigerian election that took place in 1993. It explores how children are exposed to politics and corruption at a young age while also dealing with the impact this can have on a man’s life.

Akinola Davies Jr. and his screenwriting partner and brother Wale Davies strike a remarkable balance between the nuances of the family drama at the film’s centre while having this much larger and grander conflict escalate in the film’s backdrop. The two opposing sides of the politics and the children interweave through Folarin’s life to create conflict and stress and truly show a man reflecting on his choices. The film expertly explores a cultural touchstone for Nigeria without completely alienating anyone unaware of the conflict. The emotions remain tight and tangible and give enough context for anyone watching.

A confident debut

Overall, My Father’s Shadow is an incredible debut feature for Akinola Davies Jr. that is enough of a film to get you excited for a multitude of reasons, whether it be the introduction of a promising director or many people’s first exploration of the power Nigerian cinema can hold. My Father’s Shadow is a bittersweet ride that charms and reminisces while still being a powerful tool for both political and personal exploration.

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