Lagos, 1993. As Nigeria stands on the precipice of a democratic revolution, two young brothers embark on a single, life-changing day with their charismatic but estranged father, Folarin (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù). What begins as a simple trip into the heart of the city to collect unpaid wages becomes a sensory odyssey through memory, masculinity, and the fragile bonds of family. Told through the wide-eyed perspective of childhood, the film explores a universal question: Can absence be a form of love?
NR | UK/Nigeria | 2025 | 1h 34m
Directed by Akinola Davies Jr.
Starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025, Special Mention for the Camera d’Or
Official Selection at the Toronto International Film Festival
UK Official Submission for Best International Feature at the 2026 Oscars
Best Director (Akinola Davies Jr.) – British Independent Film Awards
Breakthrough Director (Akinola Davies Jr.) and Outstanding Lead Performance (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) – Gotham Independent Film Awards
“It’s that sharp contrast of beauty with an undercurrent of pain that makes My Father’s Shadow so bittersweet, and it’s why it cuts to the quick. [Akinola Davies Jr.] turns political rupture into family myth—and family myth into something like scripture.”
– Alissa Wilkinson, NY Times
“My Father’s Shadow is a gem, a deeply felt memory piece and vibrant portrait of Nigeria in 1993.”
– Lindsay Bahr, The Associated Press
“This is an enchanting film. At every moment, one feels spellbound by its earnest aims and its heartwarming excursions.”
– Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
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