Akinola Davies’ My Father’s Shadow arrives with a rare combination of intimacy and scale, making history as the first Nigerian film to premiere at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard program. That global spotlight has carried it across the world, and now, Melbourne audiences have the privilege of experiencing it first-hand at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). It’s the kind of debut feature that instantly announces a filmmaker of staggering vision—one who can thread the personal, the political, and the spiritual into a singular cinematic statement.
Set in 1993 Nigeria during the fraught election between MKO Abiola and Bashir Tofa, the film follows brothers Akin (Godwin Egbo) and Remi (Chibuike Marlevous Egbo) as they reunite with their elusive father Fola (Sope Dirisu, extraordinary here). When Fola finally returns, he takes his sons on a journey to Lagos to reclaim months of unpaid wages. What begins as a simple family errand soon stretches into a harrowing odyssey, where broken-down buses, corrupt employers, and a nation’s discontent intersect with the fragile reconciliation between a father and his children.
Between Memory, Faith, and Myth
Davies doesn’t simply recount events; he fractures time and memory into a cinematic tapestry that feels at once grounded and otherworldly. The film’s semi-autobiographical roots are heightened through magical realism and Christian symbolism, creating an atmosphere that hovers between dream and memory.
Textured film stock and archival television footage give the sense of being pulled through different realities, while the sound design oscillates between soaring, ethereal highs and crushing lows. Locations like an abandoned amusement park, a bustling restaurant, and a quiet beach are loaded with both personal significance for Fola and broader cultural resonance, symbolising the turbulence of a country on the edge of rupture.
Fathers, Sons, and the Cost of Sacrifice
At its core, My Father’s Shadow is a deeply human story about the pain of estrangement and the fleeting opportunities for reconciliation. Dirisu’s performance as Fola is magnetic, whether teaching his son to swim on the beach or momentarily finding joy on a merry-go-round, his presence flickers between stern patriarch and vulnerable man searching for redemption.
The film understands, with heartbreaking precision, the moment many of us realise too late that our parents could have been our friends. “Everything is a sacrifice. You just have to pray you don’t sacrifice the wrong thing,” Fola reflects, capturing the film’s central ache.
From Cannes to Melbourne
The journey of My Father’s Shadow from its acclaimed world premiere at Cannes to its Australian bow at MIFF 2025 is a testament to its resonance across cultures and continents. It is both an epic meditation on a nation in turmoil and an intimate portrait of a family scarred by absence and regret.
Davies’ first feature feels like the work of an established master, seamlessly blending history, politics, and personal memory into something unforgettable. My Father’s Shadow is not just a film, it’s a landmark moment for African cinema and an essential experience for festival audiences.
My Father’s Shadow is currently showing at the Melbourne International Film Festival, thanks to Mubi for inviting Novastream to the screening of this film.
