Photo Credit: Akinola Davies/Instagram
Akinola Davies Jr. has quietly made history with “My Father’s Shadow,” which received a Special Mention for the prestigious Caméra d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Though it did not take home the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section, the honour places the Nigerian filmmaker’s debut feature among the most notable first films presented across the entire festival, including Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week.
Set in 1993 during one of Nigeria’s most politically volatile periods, “My Father’s Shadow” traces a single day in the lives of two young brothers as they journey with their estranged father from a quiet village to the chaotic capital, Lagos. The film stars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù as the father and introduces newcomers Godwin Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo in a poignant coming-of-age narrative that weaves together themes of fatherhood, accountability, identity and longing.
Co-written by Akinola and his brother Wale Davies, the film draws from the director’s own life experience, particularly the loss of his father at a young age. Speaking to The Guardian, Akinola described the film as a meditation on masculinity and the father-child relationship. “The film is about the boys being able to hold their father accountable,” he explained. “And because they get to see how to be accountable, they can be accountable themselves.” For the filmmaker, the heart of the story lies in reframing fatherhood as a two-way relationship, rather than a model of authority.
Filmed in Lagos and Ibadan, the film captures the texture and complexity of a country in transition. It is a collaboration between Element Pictures, Crybaby, and Fatherland Productions, with Rachel Dargavel of Element and Funmbi Ogunbanwo of Fatherland as producers. Even before its Cannes screening, the film drew global attention when streaming platform MUBI acquired distribution rights in February for North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Turkey.
Presented in the Un Certain Regard section, the film marked a significant moment for Nigerian cinema as the country’s first ever entry in official competition at Cannes. The Special Mention places Akinola Davies Jr. firmly on the radar as a powerful new voice in global cinema.
