"Dirisu, Godwin, and Chibuke create a family portrait that feels textured, authentic, and unforgettable."
Screened in competition at the 22nd Marrakech Film Festival, My Father’s Shadow marks the feature debut of Akinola Davies Jr., and it arrives with a quiet authority that immediately captivates. The film follows Folarin (Sope Dirisu), a father balancing the pressures of providing for his family against the chaos of Lagos: a city alive with vibrancy, danger, and restless energy. When his sons Aki (Godwin) and Remi (Chibuke) join him for a rare day together, they begin to glimpse the man behind the stoicism: the weight of responsibility he bears, the choices he has had to make, and the sacrifices that define him.
Dirisu’s performance is extraordinary. He inhabits Folarin with subtlety, conveying grief, exhaustion, and restrained longing in moments that feel lived-in and painfully real. Godwin and Chibuke, both first-time feature actors, match him effortlessly. Their chemistry is natural, their brotherhood palpable - Aki protective and watchful, Remi quietly observing and together they form a portrait of family life that is intimate, nuanced, and unforgettable.
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| Mubi |
Lagos pulses through the film like a living character. Davies Jr. captures its streets, its sounds, and its human friction with a patient eye, revealing beauty and melancholy in the ordinary. Daylight glints off faces weary from the city’s pressures; night streets thrum with life, yet danger is never far. Cinematography, editing, and sound design work in tandem, creating a film that allows both its characters and the audience to breathe, while never losing the subtle tension of a city on edge.
At the heart of the story is the quiet meditation on sacrifice: the notion that one must give, often at great cost, and pray they give wisely. The film’s emotional core resonates far beyond the family, reflecting both personal and societal struggles, and it lingers long after the day in Lagos has ended.
Already recognized internationally, screened at Cannes and winner at both BIFA and the Gotham Awards, My Father’s Shadow is now the United Kingdom’s Oscar contender. For a debut feature, it is remarkably assured, a film of heart, craft, and vision. Akinola Davies Jr. has created a work that will not only linger in your mind but echo in your memory.
Rating: ★★★★★