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Reuters
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Nigeria's first film in Cannes lineup explores masculinity, family dynamics
CANNES, France, May 19 (Reuters) - With "My Father's Shadow," Nigeria's first film in the Cannes Film Festival's official selection, director Akinola Davies Jr. wanted to create something deeply personal, he told Reuters. The film had to mean "something to me, to him (my brother), to my family, to our community, I guess to masculinity in general," said Davies about the film competing in the second-tier Un Certain Regard category that he wrote with his brother, Wale. Davies' first feature takes place over one day in 1993, when two brothers' absent father, played by "Gangs of London" star Sope Dirisu, shows up unannounced and takes them to Lagos. Their father is there to try to recoup some money owed from his employer as the country is on edge after the outcome of the first elections in a decade under military rule is annulled. Newcomers and real-life brothers Godwin Egbo, 11 at the time of filming, and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo, then 8, play the young siblings in the semi-autobiographical film that's been picked up for distribution by streamer Mubi. "Nigeria was going through a time where there was a lot of enthusiasm for this idea of a statesman who was going to lead us to potential," similar to the boys' relationship with their father, said Davies, who was raised between London and Lagos. "Both things being so sort of strong and dominant, but equally super vulnerable and super fragile - I think the tension sort of played off each other really well," said Davies. Dirisu, a British actor born to Nigerian parents, said that the film made him take a deeper look at what it means to be a father as well as how Nigeria fits into his personal identity. "There were a lot of things I had to interrogate for the role, but it was exciting," the actor told Reuters. Davies' film is one of several strong contenders competing in Un Certain Regard this year, with actors Harrison Dickinson, Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson also in the race with their directorial debuts. The Guardian, opens new tab gave "My Father's Shadow" four out of five stars, calling it a "subtle and intelligent coming-of-age tale" while industry publication IndieWire, opens new tab gave the "beautifully remembered drama" the grade of B+. Davies hopes the movie's inclusion at Cannes will pave the way for more African films at the festival. "African stories are out there," he told Reuters, but they need to be able to get to festivals like Cannes to be seen. When there's willingness from other areas of the world, and points of access, however, those films can come through, he said.
Washington Post
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Cannes standout 'My Father's Shadow' marks a historic first for Nigeria
CANNES, France — Akinola Davies Jr. and his brother Wale were both toddlers when their father died. Many years later, they began thinking about an idea for movie: What if they had gotten to spend a day with him? In 'My Father's Shadow,' which is playing in the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard section, the Davies brothers pay tribute to the father they hardly knew in a shattering father-son tale and one of the clear standouts of the festival.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Cannes standout 'My Father's Shadow' marks a historic first for Nigeria
CANNES, France (AP) — Akinola Davies Jr. and his brother Wale were both toddlers when their father died. Many years later, they began thinking about an idea for movie: What if they had gotten to spend a day with him? In 'My Father's Shadow,' which is playing in the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard section, the Davies brothers pay tribute to the father they hardly knew in a shattering father-son tale and one of the clear standouts of the festival. The film, which premiered Sunday, was the culmination of more than a decade's worth of wondering. Wale first sent Akinola a script — the first Wale had written and the first Akinola had read — in 2012. 'With zero context, he sent it to me and I just had this real emotional reaction,' Akinola Davies said in an interview. 'I actually cried when I read it because I had never conceived of the idea of spending a day with my father and what we would say to him and what he would be like.' 'My Father's Shadow,' set over a single day in Lagos in 1993, is making history in Cannes. It's the first Nigerian film in Cannes' official selection, a milestone that Nigeria is celebrating. The country has its own large film industry, nicknamed Nollywood. But thanks to 'My Father's Shadow,' Nigeria set up its own national pavilion in Cannes' international village this year. 'It means a lot to people back in Nigeria. It means we can exist on these platforms and our stories can exist in these spaces,' said Davies. 'It's a testament to talent that's around in Nigeria. It's a testament to the stories that are there. It's a testament to the industry that's flourishing.' 'My Father's Shadow,' which Mubi acquired for North American distribution ahead of the festival, has connections to the United Kingdom, too, which is where Davies is based after growing up in Nigeria. 'The Nigerian press asks me a lot if the film is Nollywood or not Nollywood. I would say it is because all the technicians work in Nollywood,' said Davies. 'You can't borrow people from that whole industry and say it's not part of it.' 'My Father's Shadow,' shot in Lagos, also gets a tremendous amount of its texture and atmosphere from Nigeria. 'Point a camera at anything in Lagos, and it's so cinematic,' Davies says. 'I have this real sense of romance for Nigeria,' he adds. 'Everyone's like, 'It's super chaotic,' but for me it's actually very still. Just driving around in the car feels really cinematic to me. I just take pictures of people all the time.' 'Gangs of London' actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù plays the father, Folarin. At the family's home outside Lagos, the boys (Chibuike Marvellous Egbo and Godwin Egbo) return home to unexpectedly find him there. They hardly ever see him — he works in Lagos — but Folarin takes them along on a trip in the city that will be revelatory for the boys. To make the fictional version of their father, the Davies brothers had to try to remember what they could (Akinola was 20 months when his father died; Wale was 4 years old), listen to stories and weed out their imagined memories. Their father rapidly developed epilepsy and died during a seizure, lying in bed next to their mother. Akinola is named after him. 'It's kind of the confluence of memory, dream and hearsay,' Davies says. 'How do you work through all of that to create a portrait?' 'My Father's Shadow' is set on a pivotal day for Nigeria, when Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who took power in a coup, refuses to accept the results of a democratic election. On this day, not just the conjured memory of the Davies' father but the dreams of a nation are put on hold. 'My Father's Shadow,' though, represents the realization of Davies' filmmaking aspirations. His first feature, following the brothers' BAFTA-nominated short 'Lizard,' confirms Davies as a major up-and-coming director. More than that, though, 'My Father's Shadow' is deeply cathartic for him. 'Being the age I am, I've done my grieving,' Davies says. 'But just before we shot, I realized I was still grieving. Our prep started about a week after the anniversary of my dad's passing. Every year, my mum calls me or texts me. I took my brother to his grave, put flowers down and made kind of a ceremony out of it.' ___ Jake Coyle has covered the Cannes Film Festival since 2012. He's seeing approximately 40 films at this year's festival and reporting on what stands out. ___ For more on the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Cannes standout 'My Father's Shadow' marks a historic first for Nigeria
Akinola Davies Jr. and his brother Wale were both toddlers when their father died. Many years later, they began thinking about an idea for movie: What if they had gotten to spend a day with him? In 'My Father's Shadow,' which is playing in the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard section, the Davies brothers pay tribute to the father they hardly knew in a shattering father-son tale and one of the clear standouts of the festival. The film, which premiered Sunday, was the culmination of more than a decade's worth of wondering. Wale first sent Akinola a script — the first Wale had written and the first Akinola had read — in 2012. 'With zero context, he sent it to me and I just had this real emotional reaction,' Akinola Davies said in an interview. 'I actually cried when I read it because I had never conceived of the idea of spending a day with my father and what we would say to him and what he would be like.' 'My Father's Shadow,' set over a single day in Lagos in 1993, is making history in Cannes. It's the first Nigerian film in Cannes' official selection, a milestone that Nigeria is celebrating. The country has its own large film industry, nicknamed Nollywood. But thanks to 'My Father's Shadow,' Nigeria set up its own national pavilion in Cannes' international village this year. 'It means a lot to people back in Nigeria. It means we can exist on these platforms and our stories can exist in these spaces,' said Davies. 'It's a testament to talent that's around in Nigeria. It's a testament to the stories that are there. It's a testament to the industry that's flourishing.' 'My Father's Shadow,' which Mubi acquired for North American distribution ahead of the festival, has connections to the United Kingdom, too, which is where Davies is based after growing up in Nigeria. 'The Nigerian press asks me a lot if the film is Nollywood or not Nollywood. I would say it is because all the technicians work in Nollywood,' said Davies. 'You can't borrow people from that whole industry and say it's not part of it.' 'My Father's Shadow,' shot in Lagos, also gets a tremendous amount of its texture and atmosphere from Nigeria. 'Point a camera at anything in Lagos, and it's so cinematic,' Davies says. 'I have this real sense of romance for Nigeria,' he adds. 'Everyone's like, 'It's super chaotic,' but for me it's actually very still. Just driving around in the car feels really cinematic to me. I just take pictures of people all the time.' 'Gangs of London' actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù plays the father, Folarin. At the family's home outside Lagos, the boys (Chibuike Marvellous Egbo and Godwin Egbo) return home to unexpectedly find him there. They hardly ever see him — he works in Lagos — but Folarin takes them along on a trip in the city that will be revelatory for the boys. To make the fictional version of their father, the Davies brothers had to try to remember what they could (Akinola was 20 months when his father died; Wale was 4 years old), listen to stories and weed out their imagined memories. Their father rapidly developed epilepsy and died during a seizure, lying in bed next to their mother. Akinola is named after him. 'It's kind of the confluence of memory, dream and hearsay,' Davies says. 'How do you work through all of that to create a portrait?' 'My Father's Shadow' is set on a pivotal day for Nigeria, when Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who took power in a coup, refuses to accept the results of a democratic election. On this day, not just the conjured memory of the Davies' father but the dreams of a nation are put on hold. 'My Father's Shadow,' though, represents the realization of Davies' filmmaking aspirations. His first feature, following the brothers' BAFTA-nominated short ' Lizard,' confirms Davies as a major up-and-coming director. More than that, though, 'My Father's Shadow' is deeply cathartic for him. 'Being the age I am, I've done my grieving,' Davies says. 'But just before we shot, I realized I was still grieving. Our prep started about a week after the anniversary of my dad's passing. Every year, my mum calls me or texts me. I took my brother to his grave, put flowers down and made kind of a ceremony out of it.' ___ Jake Coyle has covered the Cannes Film Festival since 2012. He's seeing approximately 40 films at this year's festival and reporting on what stands out. ___ For more on the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, visit
