My Father’s Shadow premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and will be
released in UK and Irish cinemas on February 6, 2026, through streaming service MUBI.
Spoilers
My Father’s Shadow is set in 1993 in Lagos. As people grow hopeful about a crucial presidential election and the potential victory of Social Democratic Party candidate M.K.O. Abiola, the election is suddenly annulled by the government, triggering protests and political unrest.
The story begins with two little boys living in a small village in Nigeria. One day, their busy father finally comes home and decides to take them on a rare day trip to the capital, Lagos. Over the course of this precious day, the boys come to know their daddy, Fola (played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù), in a way they never have before. In the playground of their father’s previous home and by the beautiful seaside, they hear stories about their parents and other family members. They meet his friends and co-workers, and even discover their father’s mysterious mistress.
My Father’s Shadow is British-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr’t debut feature film, he also co-wrote it with his brother, Wale Davies. The story is inspired by their childhood memories and the grief of losing their father at a young age. On the one hand, My Father’s Shadow is a warm yet sentimental family portrait about the bond between father and sons, reminding you of similar films like Aftersun. On the other hand, it is a glimpse of the brutal reality of Nigerian society through two kid’s eyes.
One thing I absolutely love is the film’s aesthetic. What Akinola captures with the camera feels truly precious. There are many beautiful shots of swaying trees and tiny insects beating their wings as it is exactly the kind of details children would fixate on. He manages to show the unnoticed beauty of Nigeria without ever turning it into something pretentious.
At the Q&A after the LFF screening, when asked how he achieved such poetic images, Akinola explained that, after immigrating to the UK, returning to his hometown from time to time gave him a fresh perspective. He began to notice overlooked beauty and try to capture everything, especially when he knows he may soon have to leave again.
What begins as a heartfelt day out gradually dissolves into chaos and violence. Almost abruptly, yet not unexpectedly, the film ends with the father’s funeral. Looking back, you realise there were many small moments throughout that hinted at his possible absence, as if he were already a ghost. All those tender images now feel like fragments of a romantic dream, and when you revisit them in your mind, what remains is a lingering, endless sadness.
As a debut feature, My Father’s Shadow is astonishing. Akinola Davies Jr and his cast all deliver remarkable work. Watching My Father’s Shadow has been a blessed journey for me. And I had the privilege to experience it twice, first at its world premiere at Cannes, and later at its UK premiere at the London Film Festival.
It felt so great to sit in a cinema full of people rooting for this film, and to see it live up to everything you have expected. It may be one of the best British films of the year, as it has been submitted by the UK to compete for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards.
Image credits: Film stills from My Father’s Shadow (2025), courtesy of Busan International Film Festival / IMDb (Copyright belongs to the respective owners)
