My Father's Shadow | Reel Lives
Date: 3 June 2026
Venue: Nerve Centre, 7-8 Magazine St., Derry, Derry, BT48 6HJ
My Father's Shadow, the debut feature from British-Nigerian writer-director Akinola Davies Jr., (for which he won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut) is steeped in feeling and lyrical energy as this vibrant coming-of-age tale bathes the father-son bond in a tender glow.
Co-written with his brother Wale Davies, the film (which was the first Nigerian title ever to screen in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival) was selected as the UK submission to this year's Oscars®.
The film is a semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian metropolis Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. The story follows a father (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù), estranged from his two young sons (Godwin Chiemerie Egbo & Chibuike Marvellous Egbo), as they travel through the massive city while political unrest threatens their journey home.
Akinola Davies Jr. | United Kingdom, Nigeria, Ireland | 2025 | 94 mins | Subtitled | 12A