{"id":1787595,"date":"2026-02-23T12:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T09:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1787595"},"modified":"2026-02-23T12:05:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T09:05:00","slug":"akinola-davies-jr-on-his-bafta-winning-debut-my-fathers-shadow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1787595","title":{"rendered":"Akinola Davies Jr on his BAFTA-winning debut, My Father\u2019s Shadow"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-79-2881-1921\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436495.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/film-tv\/article\/69567\/1\/akinola-davies-jr-on-his-bafta-winning-debut-my-fathers-shadow\" data-article-id=\"69567\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436495.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">My Father&#8217;s Shadow<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-23T12:05:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - film-tv\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Akinola Davies Jr on his BAFTA-winning debut, My <span class=\"nowrap\">Father\u2019s Shadow<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>The director speaks to Dazed about his new semi-autobiographical feature film, which follows two brothers desperate for their father\u2019s attention, set against the fraught backdrop of <span class=\"nowrap\">1990s Nigeria<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-23T12:05:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-23T12:05:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"23 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"23\">23,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/NickChen\">Nick Chen<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-7-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">My Father&#8217;s Shadow<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/0\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436491.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/1\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2000-1333\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436492.jpg\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/2\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436493.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/3\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436494.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/4\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"1921\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-79-2881-1921\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436495.jpg\" width=\"2881\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/5\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436496.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 7 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><em>This article was originally published on February 5, 2026. In light of Davies&#8217; BAFTA win, we revisit this interview with the director about his semi-autobiographical feature film.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em>, a shimmering, cinematic celebration of Lagos, will be viewed by most people from a child\u2019s perspective. Set on June 12, 1993, the day of Nigeria\u2019s election crisis, Akinola Davies Jr\u2019s semi-autobiographical movie is about two boys \u2013 Aki, 8, and Remi, 11, are played by real-life brothers Chibuike Marvellous Egbo and Godwin Chiemerie Egbo \u2013 who spend a day with their often-absent father, Folarin (Sop\u00e9 D\u00ecr\u00eds\u00f9), as political tensions arise around them. A key, whispered line of voiceover dialogue: \u201cI will see you in dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To the boys, Folarin is a magnetic, mysterious figure who\u2019s as much of a tour guide as a parent. As Folarin demonstrates the delights of Lagos to his kids, they in turn analyse their father for clues: his flirtations with women who aren\u2019t their mother; allusions to political activities; signs of a vivid life away from the family. However, a different cinemagoer could perceive the film as being from the point of view of Folarin, not the kids. After all, the viewer is seduced by D\u00ecr\u00eds\u00f9\u2019s movie-star charm, and it\u2019s Folarin who steers the story\u2019s narrative for his children\u2019s benefit.<\/p>\n<p>In between sips of coffee in King\u2019s Cross, Davies suggest to me there\u2019s actually a third perspective. \u201cYou can watch it from the dad and the kids,\u201d says the 41-year-old British-Nigerian filmmaker. \u201cOr you can watch it in terms of the politics of what\u2019s happening in the world. It\u2019s all woven together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On that day in history, the Social Democratic Party won the first election to be held in Nigeria for a decade, only for the result to be annulled by the ruling military leader. Whereas Aki and Remi may ignore the news unfolding on the TV, they\u2019re surrounded by public optimism in Lagos that soon shifts to angry protests. \u201cMy brother still lives in Nigeria,\u201d says Davies. \u201cHe was really decisive in being able to weave how the politics interjects into people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"RNB3iwxeJ3Q\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RNB3iwxeJ3Q\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>The script was written by the director and his older brother, Wale Davies, both of whom were a similar age to Aki and Remi in 1993. \u201cIt\u2019s reflective of who me and my brother are,\u201d says Akinola. \u201cI\u2019m very introspective and confrontational in a way that\u2019s compassionate, whereas my brother is more contextual. He\u2019s more like, \u2018One plus one equals two, but why?\u2019 He\u2019s more literal, and I\u2019m more abstract and visual. He\u2019s super-aware of politics, and the performance of being Nigerian. I\u2019m more someone who falls in love with images.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last year, <em>My Father\u2019s Shadow <\/em>premiered in the Un Certain Regard strand at Cannes, where it was Nigeria\u2019s first-ever film to be part of the festival\u2019s Official Selection. Since then, its awards acclaim includes 12 BIFA nominations (Davies won for Best Director) and a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut. While Davies is technically a debut filmmaker, he\u2019s been directing short films (<em>Lizard<\/em> won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance), music videos (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3IK_RAx4l9c\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v%3D3IK_RAx4l9c&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1bY5rmfAnv1qd5P-0-hnFA\">\u201cRAPT\u201d by Kokoroko<\/a>), and commercials (Gucci, Louis Vitton, Kenzo) for a decade. Dazed interviewed him in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/26286\/1\/why-london-s-music-scene-is-still-one-of-the-best\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/26286\/1\/why-london-s-music-scene-is-still-one-of-the-best&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3xV3wkq5aTAayMSa5YEj1r\">2015<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/35488\/1\/exclusive-kenzos-new-project-celebrates-nigerian-youth\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/35488\/1\/exclusive-kenzos-new-project-celebrates-nigerian-youth&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2AWFbfpzEKKTUiDzQ1nsit\">2017<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/39666\/1\/akinola-davies-new-film-bootleg-fashion-basel-east-end-film-festival\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/39666\/1\/akinola-davies-new-film-bootleg-fashion-basel-east-end-film-festival&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw12JvlaYq8Y_VMTAP-WH34c\">2018<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/41489\/1\/art-show-urges-african-diaspora-reclaim-identity-akinola-davies-crackstevens-hod\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/41489\/1\/art-show-urges-african-diaspora-reclaim-identity-akinola-davies-crackstevens-hod&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2bMoEV5fDlp0S3VQuTRDQO\">2018 again<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/43854\/1\/fela-kuti-akinola-davies-crack-stevens-femi-kuti-obongjayar-nigeria-carhartt-wip\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/43854\/1\/fela-kuti-akinola-davies-crack-stevens-femi-kuti-obongjayar-nigeria-carhartt-wip&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1U3hmxFHKtGhEYItTU3UxQ\">2019<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/53251\/1\/priya-ahluwalia-black-hair-film-ss22-akinola-davies-mulberry-collaboration\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/53251\/1\/priya-ahluwalia-black-hair-film-ss22-akinola-davies-mulberry-collaboration&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24X4MJvhHMwzfwXLuAPZT5\">2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At university, Davies studied to be a journalist (\u201cI maybe subconsciously wanted to tell stories\u201d) and briefly worked at a publishing house. However, <em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em> is more concerned with the poetry of memory than documenting facts. In reality, Davies was 20 months old when his father died; during the writing process, he and Wale would debate their childhood recollections. \u201cHe was very idolising of our father,\u201d says Akinola. \u201cI was more protective of our mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>We wanted to have a conversation about toxic masculinity. You don\u2019t always get to have these conversations with your father or caregivers<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>After Akinola and Wale wrote <em>Lizard<\/em> during a ten-day trip to an isolated, internet-less place near the Volta River in Ghana, the brothers worked on the screenplay for <em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em> in Jamaica and, again, Ghana. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019m superstitious, but maybe I am,\u201d says the director. \u201cThere\u2019s a certain level of seclusion and being in places that are hot and feel like home. We\u2019re surrounded by a lot of nature. It\u2019s outside the remit of our regular lives. For our next one, he\u2019s suggested we go to Lamu in Kenya.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Aki and Remi chance upon Folarin in their home in rural Nigeria before he has to return to Lagos to collect unpaid wages. To the boys\u2019 surprise, their father allows them to join him for the day, which allows Davies and his cinematographer to luxuriate in the details of Lagos life: the ponies trotting in the street; the ominous present of military in the background; Folarin swimming in the sea with his sons, only to reveal a devastating childhood memory of his own.<\/p>\n<p>Look closer at an early montage, and you might spot crew members captured on camera, like when someone\u2019s hand appears in front of the lens. \u201cThere\u2019s something tactile and playful about having the crew involved,\u201d says Davies. \u201cFor the audience, it\u2019s <em>texture, texture, texture<\/em>. Texture sets a precedence. At the beginning of a film, I can tell if it\u2019ll be good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A key component of that texture was shooting on 16mm, which Davies refers to as a political act: few, if any, Nigerian films get shot on 16mm. \u201cI\u2019m sure they were back in the 70s and 80s, but in the canon of recent things, I haven\u2019t seen it,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s Nollywood, VHS, the digital era. And now we\u2019re back at 16mm. I want to see Nigerians on the most beautiful format. It\u2019s seductive. It\u2019s inviting. It gives people an understanding of what it could look and feel like.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"2596ca36-e2a1-4d5e-b336-b3e800f2a7e0\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436492.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436492.jpg\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">My Father&#8217;s Shadow<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>Transitioning from commercials to an arthouse coming-of-ager, Davies had to rework his filmmaking language. On a branded video where viewers can\u2019t switch off the YouTube clip, Davies would move the camera wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. \u201cI had to unlearn doing the \u2018cool, sexy shot\u2019. My cinematographer on <em>Lizard<\/em>, Shabier Kirchner, told me, \u2018In film, that\u2019s the only trick you\u2019ve got. When you move it, it has to have meaning behind it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thus a great deal of <em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em> consists of static, composed shots that create impact for the exceptions. One example is the use of a Steadicam that moves through a corridor and discovers Folarin in a bedroom, all seen from the boys\u2019 perspective. Another is a 360-degree camera spin at home before the day trip begins. Davies is particularly fond of a scene involving a burning car: \u201cYou reward the audience because everyone has stayed so patient and tight. Being in a cinema makes such a big difference with those shots.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for how much of Folarin is constructed from memory, storytelling purposes, and a way to comment on masculinity, Davies believes it\u2019s a mixture. \u201cWe would go to Lagos, and people would tell us, \u2018Your dad was a rascal. He stole my girlfriend. He ran a record label.\u2019 A lot of that is what we learned. But we wanted to have a conversation about toxic masculinity. You don\u2019t always get to have these conversations with your father or caregivers. I was like, \u2018If we\u2019re making a film, let\u2019s have that conversation.\u2019 A lot of it needs context and nuance. The migrant father, or people from a developing country \u2013 there\u2019s an aspect of needing to provide for a family which negates your absence and ability to spend time with your kids, because of what society has created. A lot of that nuance gets missed in the larger conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Would it be cheating his and his brother\u2019s memory to have written a film entirely about Folarin, or even following him for a longer period? \u201cWe could have done it, but it wouldn\u2019t have served the memory aspect,\u201d says Davies. \u201cThe genesis of the idea was a memory me and my brother had of playing with our father on a bed. We don\u2019t know if it\u2019s true or fabricated, but it belongs to us. That\u2019s what we tried to create in the film. People don\u2019t know if it\u2019s a memory, dream, or ghost story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My Father\u2019s Shadow<em> is out in UK &amp; Irish cinemas on February 6.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69573\/1\/100-nights-of-hero-charli-xcx-julia-jackmans-lo-fi-queer-fantasy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"100 nights of hero\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/259-138-1402-933\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436548.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">100 Nights of Hero: The story behind Julia Jackman\u2019s lo-fi queer fantasy<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-7-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">My Father&#8217;s Shadow<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/0\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436491.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/1\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-0-2000-1333\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436492.jpg\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/2\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436493.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/3\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436494.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/4\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"1921\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/0-79-2881-1921\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436495.jpg\" width=\"2881\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/gallery\/36635\/5\/my-fathers-shadow\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/320\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436496.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 7 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><em>This article was originally published on February 5, 2026. In light of Davies&#8217; BAFTA win, we revisit this interview with the director about his semi-autobiographical feature film.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em>, a shimmering, cinematic celebration of Lagos, will be viewed by most people from a child\u2019s perspective. Set on June 12, 1993, the day of Nigeria\u2019s election crisis, Akinola Davies Jr\u2019s semi-autobiographical movie is about two boys \u2013 Aki, 8, and Remi, 11, are played by real-life brothers Chibuike Marvellous Egbo and Godwin Chiemerie Egbo \u2013 who spend a day with their often-absent father, Folarin (Sop\u00e9 D\u00ecr\u00eds\u00f9), as political tensions arise around them. A key, whispered line of voiceover dialogue: \u201cI will see you in dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To the boys, Folarin is a magnetic, mysterious figure who\u2019s as much of a tour guide as a parent. As Folarin demonstrates the delights of Lagos to his kids, they in turn analyse their father for clues: his flirtations with women who aren\u2019t their mother; allusions to political activities; signs of a vivid life away from the family. However, a different cinemagoer could perceive the film as being from the point of view of Folarin, not the kids. After all, the viewer is seduced by D\u00ecr\u00eds\u00f9\u2019s movie-star charm, and it\u2019s Folarin who steers the story\u2019s narrative for his children\u2019s benefit.<\/p>\n<p>In between sips of coffee in King\u2019s Cross, Davies suggest to me there\u2019s actually a third perspective. \u201cYou can watch it from the dad and the kids,\u201d says the 41-year-old British-Nigerian filmmaker. \u201cOr you can watch it in terms of the politics of what\u2019s happening in the world. It\u2019s all woven together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On that day in history, the Social Democratic Party won the first election to be held in Nigeria for a decade, only for the result to be annulled by the ruling military leader. Whereas Aki and Remi may ignore the news unfolding on the TV, they\u2019re surrounded by public optimism in Lagos that soon shifts to angry protests. \u201cMy brother still lives in Nigeria,\u201d says Davies. \u201cHe was really decisive in being able to weave how the politics interjects into people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"RNB3iwxeJ3Q\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RNB3iwxeJ3Q\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>The script was written by the director and his older brother, Wale Davies, both of whom were a similar age to Aki and Remi in 1993. \u201cIt\u2019s reflective of who me and my brother are,\u201d says Akinola. \u201cI\u2019m very introspective and confrontational in a way that\u2019s compassionate, whereas my brother is more contextual. He\u2019s more like, \u2018One plus one equals two, but why?\u2019 He\u2019s more literal, and I\u2019m more abstract and visual. He\u2019s super-aware of politics, and the performance of being Nigerian. I\u2019m more someone who falls in love with images.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last year, <em>My Father\u2019s Shadow <\/em>premiered in the Un Certain Regard strand at Cannes, where it was Nigeria\u2019s first-ever film to be part of the festival\u2019s Official Selection. Since then, its awards acclaim includes 12 BIFA nominations (Davies won for Best Director) and a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut. While Davies is technically a debut filmmaker, he\u2019s been directing short films (<em>Lizard<\/em> won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance), music videos (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3IK_RAx4l9c\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v%3D3IK_RAx4l9c&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1bY5rmfAnv1qd5P-0-hnFA\">\u201cRAPT\u201d by Kokoroko<\/a>), and commercials (Gucci, Louis Vitton, Kenzo) for a decade. Dazed interviewed him in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/26286\/1\/why-london-s-music-scene-is-still-one-of-the-best\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/26286\/1\/why-london-s-music-scene-is-still-one-of-the-best&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3xV3wkq5aTAayMSa5YEj1r\">2015<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/35488\/1\/exclusive-kenzos-new-project-celebrates-nigerian-youth\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/35488\/1\/exclusive-kenzos-new-project-celebrates-nigerian-youth&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2AWFbfpzEKKTUiDzQ1nsit\">2017<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/39666\/1\/akinola-davies-new-film-bootleg-fashion-basel-east-end-film-festival\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/39666\/1\/akinola-davies-new-film-bootleg-fashion-basel-east-end-film-festival&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw12JvlaYq8Y_VMTAP-WH34c\">2018<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/41489\/1\/art-show-urges-african-diaspora-reclaim-identity-akinola-davies-crackstevens-hod\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/art-photography\/article\/41489\/1\/art-show-urges-african-diaspora-reclaim-identity-akinola-davies-crackstevens-hod&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2bMoEV5fDlp0S3VQuTRDQO\">2018 again<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/43854\/1\/fela-kuti-akinola-davies-crack-stevens-femi-kuti-obongjayar-nigeria-carhartt-wip\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/43854\/1\/fela-kuti-akinola-davies-crack-stevens-femi-kuti-obongjayar-nigeria-carhartt-wip&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1U3hmxFHKtGhEYItTU3UxQ\">2019<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/53251\/1\/priya-ahluwalia-black-hair-film-ss22-akinola-davies-mulberry-collaboration\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fashion\/article\/53251\/1\/priya-ahluwalia-black-hair-film-ss22-akinola-davies-mulberry-collaboration&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1770387669535000&amp;usg=AOvVaw24X4MJvhHMwzfwXLuAPZT5\">2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At university, Davies studied to be a journalist (\u201cI maybe subconsciously wanted to tell stories\u201d) and briefly worked at a publishing house. However, <em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em> is more concerned with the poetry of memory than documenting facts. In reality, Davies was 20 months old when his father died; during the writing process, he and Wale would debate their childhood recollections. \u201cHe was very idolising of our father,\u201d says Akinola. \u201cI was more protective of our mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>We wanted to have a conversation about toxic masculinity. You don\u2019t always get to have these conversations with your father or caregivers<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>After Akinola and Wale wrote <em>Lizard<\/em> during a ten-day trip to an isolated, internet-less place near the Volta River in Ghana, the brothers worked on the screenplay for <em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em> in Jamaica and, again, Ghana. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say I\u2019m superstitious, but maybe I am,\u201d says the director. \u201cThere\u2019s a certain level of seclusion and being in places that are hot and feel like home. We\u2019re surrounded by a lot of nature. It\u2019s outside the remit of our regular lives. For our next one, he\u2019s suggested we go to Lamu in Kenya.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Aki and Remi chance upon Folarin in their home in rural Nigeria before he has to return to Lagos to collect unpaid wages. To the boys\u2019 surprise, their father allows them to join him for the day, which allows Davies and his cinematographer to luxuriate in the details of Lagos life: the ponies trotting in the street; the ominous present of military in the background; Folarin swimming in the sea with his sons, only to reveal a devastating childhood memory of his own.<\/p>\n<p>Look closer at an early montage, and you might spot crew members captured on camera, like when someone\u2019s hand appears in front of the lens. \u201cThere\u2019s something tactile and playful about having the crew involved,\u201d says Davies. \u201cFor the audience, it\u2019s <em>texture, texture, texture<\/em>. Texture sets a precedence. At the beginning of a film, I can tell if it\u2019ll be good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A key component of that texture was shooting on 16mm, which Davies refers to as a political act: few, if any, Nigerian films get shot on 16mm. \u201cI\u2019m sure they were back in the 70s and 80s, but in the canon of recent things, I haven\u2019t seen it,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s Nollywood, VHS, the digital era. And now we\u2019re back at 16mm. I want to see Nigerians on the most beautiful format. It\u2019s seductive. It\u2019s inviting. It gives people an understanding of what it could look and feel like.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"2596ca36-e2a1-4d5e-b336-b3e800f2a7e0\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436492.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"My Father&#039;s Shadow\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436492.jpg\" width=\"2000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">My Father&#8217;s Shadow<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p>Transitioning from commercials to an arthouse coming-of-ager, Davies had to rework his filmmaking language. On a branded video where viewers can\u2019t switch off the YouTube clip, Davies would move the camera wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. \u201cI had to unlearn doing the \u2018cool, sexy shot\u2019. My cinematographer on <em>Lizard<\/em>, Shabier Kirchner, told me, \u2018In film, that\u2019s the only trick you\u2019ve got. When you move it, it has to have meaning behind it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thus a great deal of <em>My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/em> consists of static, composed shots that create impact for the exceptions. One example is the use of a Steadicam that moves through a corridor and discovers Folarin in a bedroom, all seen from the boys\u2019 perspective. Another is a 360-degree camera spin at home before the day trip begins. Davies is particularly fond of a scene involving a burning car: \u201cYou reward the audience because everyone has stayed so patient and tight. Being in a cinema makes such a big difference with those shots.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for how much of Folarin is constructed from memory, storytelling purposes, and a way to comment on masculinity, Davies believes it\u2019s a mixture. \u201cWe would go to Lagos, and people would tell us, \u2018Your dad was a rascal. He stole my girlfriend. He ran a record label.\u2019 A lot of that is what we learned. But we wanted to have a conversation about toxic masculinity. You don\u2019t always get to have these conversations with your father or caregivers. I was like, \u2018If we\u2019re making a film, let\u2019s have that conversation.\u2019 A lot of it needs context and nuance. The migrant father, or people from a developing country \u2013 there\u2019s an aspect of needing to provide for a family which negates your absence and ability to spend time with your kids, because of what society has created. A lot of that nuance gets missed in the larger conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Would it be cheating his and his brother\u2019s memory to have written a film entirely about Folarin, or even following him for a longer period? \u201cWe could have done it, but it wouldn\u2019t have served the memory aspect,\u201d says Davies. \u201cThe genesis of the idea was a memory me and my brother had of playing with our father on a bed. We don\u2019t know if it\u2019s true or fabricated, but it belongs to us. That\u2019s what we tried to create in the film. People don\u2019t know if it\u2019s a memory, dream, or ghost story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My Father\u2019s Shadow<em> is out in UK &amp; Irish cinemas on February 6.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69567\/1\/akinola-davies-jr-on-his-bafta-winning-debut-my-fathers-shadow&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-79-2881-1921\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436495.jpg&#8221;] My Father&#8217;s Shadow February\u00a0 23,\u00a0 2026 Film &amp; TV \/ Feature Film &amp; TV \/ Feature Akinola Davies Jr on his BAFTA-winning debut, My Father\u2019s Shadow The director speaks to Dazed about his new semi-autobiographical feature film, which follows two brothers desperate for their father\u2019s attention, set against the fraught backdrop of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1787595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1787595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1787595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1787595\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1787595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1787595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1787595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}