During the 1993 Nigerian election crisis, two young brothers travel across Lagos with their estranged father. As they move through the vast, vibrant city, the boys begin to understand both its scale and the quiet hardships their father faces, while growing political unrest threatens their journey home. My Father’s Shadow marks the feature debut of British-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr., co-written with his brother Wale Davies. Told through a child’s eyes, the film is a vivid and deeply personal portrait of a distant father and a nation on the brink of upheaval. The film is the UK’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards and received a Caméra d’Or Special Mention at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Our screening on Friday (27th) will be introduced by Tatenda Jamera, filmmaker and curator of African cinema organisation Maona Art.

Reviews

‘It is a rich, heartfelt and rewarding movie.’
★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘The casting is inspired… And Dìrísù’s tender, thoughtful, strong presence — his face often framed in the tightest of close-ups — evokes Folarin’s virtues as a father and a man, as well as his imperfections.’
★★★★
Jonathan Romney, The FT